The Return
by Psychlone
Summary: Link returns home from Termina looking forward to relaxing, he meets an old friend he hasn't seen in 5 years, and then something happens, a lot happens, and Link's long vacation just got put on hold.
1. The Trouble Begins Again

The Return

The Trouble Begins Again

Link stood awkwardly at the entrance to the Kokiri forest where his house stood. It had been so long since he was last there; he would probably be bombarded with all sorts of questions. Where he had been, how had he survived, what was life like outside the forest, the usual stuff. He had his gilded sword on him, along with his mirror shield. He had all of his masks and items also, rather than selling them as Tatl suggested. His gilded sword gleamed in the sunlight as he looked at it.

It really was an amazing blade, worked to such a fine edge with such strength that was unknown before. The mirror shield itself was a wonderful item too. Reflective for all light and magic, yet strong enough to deflect even the toughest blow. Yet his biggest love was his fierce deity's mask he kept nearby. It gave him his adult link form and his strongest weapon yet, while being more powerful than Majora's mask, yet it doesn't have control like that over him, not without lack of trying.

Epona trotted softly beside him; he would have to return her to the Lon Lon Ranch near by the castle town soon, after all he was sure Epona missed her old home. He spotted Mido outside of the hollowed out tree that served as the gate to the forest's village of Kokiri. "Hey Mido." Link said lazily, trying to walk past the now smaller boy, it had been some years since he left, Link was now fifteen, and much taller than the 'great Mido'.

"Who are you?" he asked, stepping in the way of Link.

"Oh right. Its me, Link." He said to his old bully.

"Link? You've been gone for years…" Mido said looking at the blonde boy with the horse suspiciously.

"Can I get through to my house?" he asked plainly, obvious disdain for his return trip home to be routed by the one person he didn't want it to.

"No. I need proof you're link."

Something snapped in Link, he was tired, and hungry, and he wanted to sleep in nice soft bed, and hang out with friends again, but here this runt was blocking his path. He picked Mido up by the collar of his shirt, lifting him a good ten inches up off the ground, so they looked eye-to-eye. "Listen to me the 'great Mido", I have been traveling for years, filled with self-doubt, pain and hunger. Lack of sleep and loneliness, filled my nights, now get out the way you son of a whore or I will make you move." He told him snarling, using language most Kokori's didn't know, but something he picked up from a bar fight a while back.

"You're Link alright…" he gulped and nervously mentioned, stepping out of the way of the blonde boy, who switched his green clothes for something he had found to fit him, when his clothes had become too small. It was something similar to the fierce deity's tunic, very light colored, but with a blue cut across, making his left shoulder down to his right hip, dark blue. He had his ear pierced, liking the look he had seen himself as an adult, and it dangled closely to his lobe. "By the way, there is a strange red-haired girl in your house who says she knows you."

"A strange red-haired girl…" he muttered to himself, walking along the path, until he reached his old tree house. He let Epona go graze while he began to climb up the ladder, and then he heard footsteps coming. He looked up to see a slightly familiar face, the ranch girl he often visited in his first adventure here in Hyrule. _She is almost as pretty as the first time we kissed…_ he thought to himself, of the best moment of his life that Malon will never remember. _She's only your friend now; you learned your lesson Link._ She had grown since he last saw her though; her cheeks were now fairer, very feminine, and still pale, even after all the work she did in the sun on her ranch, no longer had she any baby fat, but she had blossomed quite nicely to a beautiful young woman. Then, after Link's awing in mid air on the ladder, Malon tackled him.

"FAIRY BOY!" she shouted, and hugged him. Link gulped down something in his throat, as they landed on the ground, on his butt.

"The name is Link." he told her, moving her to arms length, so she didn't crush his ribs, but then he noticed she was straddling him, and blushed when he noticed. Malon did the same and got off quickly, putting out her hand to the blue-eyed boy. "May I ask why you are here?" he asked her, brushing himself off, and looking at his old friend he knew from years ago.

"You hadn't visited me in years, so I came to visit you, but I kind of got lost in the woods for a few days. That weird blonde girl found me in the forest and brought me here." she mentioned, and began to climb up the ladder, than looked at the dress on her bodice. "You go first." She said, getting down for him, and Link started climbing first.

The two entered the house as some Kokiri came to look at the odd pair, both being older looking than anyone else in that forest. Link dropped the heavy travel pack on the ground in the middle of the room and began to open it. As soon as he did masks and item and rupees began to spill out. He tossed his wallet onto the nightstand by his bed as Malon began to look through his stuff in the middle of the floor. "Nice mask…" she said, picking up the fierce deity's mask, and beginning to put it on her face.

Link dove and snatched the mask from Malon. He did not know if that mask would control her like it had tried him. "Don't put on this mask." He said in between pants. "You can wear any other mask but these five." He pointed to a zora-like mask, a goron-like mask, a deku-like mask, and an iron mask she wouldn't want to wear anyways.

"Why not?" she asked, picking up the great fairy's sword he had in the pile.

"They have strange powers. You may find out what they do someday, maybe not." He told her, locking the five masks in a huge cabinet, where they would not be touched. "It is going to be dark soon, would you like a ride back to the ranch?" he asked her, as she began to lift the great fairy's sword and swing with it, it was too large for him still, so it was much to large for the now shorter girl. It swung awkwardly and dangerously around, until Link stopped it, catching the blade with his palms, before she destroyed something.

Feeling embarrassed, she blushed and nodded her thanks at the offer for a ride. Link nodded back and offered her a smile. He jumped off his balcony into a roll, taking the bunny hood with him. Epona nudged his shoulder and he got on her back, and Malon, after climbing down the ladder patted the grown mare's nose. "Remember me girl?" she asked, and was delighted as Epona neighed in joy at their reunion.

Malon was helped onto the back of the horse, not really needing it, but liking the contact for some reason. "I might be in trouble when we get back. I was lost in the woods for a few days but this strange blonde girl left me in the village, after I beat up that Mido guy."

"The woods are easy to get lost in." Link sighed out. He hoped Talon wouldn't scold her; he hated yelling in anger.

"What is that smoke?" Malon asked, looking at a very large stack of black smoke, coming from a place below the next hill.

"I don't know, lets go check it out." Link made Epona gallop further, until his hat fell off his head, where Malon, caught it for him. "Thanks." He told her as she placed the hat on his head.

The two reached the edge of the forest over that next hill, where they saw three men burning trees after throwing a strange liquid over their trunks, and the load groans of pain coming from the forest throbbed in Link's ears. "Stop that!" he shouted and he recognized those men, the ones the Kokiri hated. The charcoal makers. They constantly tried to get into the forest, the trees made the best charcoal, bright and hot burning, with little smoke and lasted a lot longer than any other charcoal from any other wood.

"Eh. It's jus' a kid fro' tha forest." One of the men said and started to light another match. Link galloped over, his sword ready, but a deku seed landed upside the head of the man, and Malon held up Link's old slingshot that he couldn't use anymore.

"Sorry, you looked like you didn't use it…" she blushed, having realized she forgot to ask about the slingshot, but it was so pretty with its ruby wielded tips, she couldn't resist.

"You can keep it, if you help me get this guys away from here." He told her as he took out his bow and arrows and opted for that instead of hacking away with his sword. "Step away from the trees and this arrow wont have to ventilate your skull." He warned, he was not in the mood to play games, and these men disgusted him.

"That's a little harsh." Malon whispered to him, loading her new slingshot.

"I wanted to relax for a little while." He whispered back to her. "Not worry about these pigs of men." The men began to pack up, but left the fire burning. They sneered as they left Link and Malon. Link himself got off the horse and ran with his ocarina in front of the trees and began playing a strong jumpy melody, making clouds form around the trees and rain began to pour down on the flames, making them die out. Then another melody came into play, something calm and soothing, and the trees began to get greener and browner, they became healthy once again.

Malon looked questioningly at the glowing ocarina and the blonde boy, putting away her new slingshot. "The song of storms and the song of healing. They work wonders. How I ever got by without them, I will never know." He muttered to himself, giving a sad glance at the trees that were beyond saving and were smoldering. He put his hand to one of the trees; the leather gauntlet on his hand began to give off a light smoke. "I'm sorry." He said to the tree and a light breeze came through, blowing through Link's hair. "Thanks."

He trotted back to Malon and the horse. "What was that? Apologizing to the tree?" she giggled out, thinking that was hilarious.

"Yes I was, and they forgive me for it." He said coldly, climbing onto the horse. "The trees have a spirit of their own too. They die too." He told her.

"I am sorry. I didn't know." She said. "I grew up on a farm, I know what animals like, not trees." She said quietly to him.

"I shouldn't have snapped at you like that." Link apologized and spurred Epona into a slow gallop. "We should be at the ranch soon. I will came see you tomorrow, after I rest up and relax for a bit."

"Alright." She began to get her usual smile again, as she relaxed with the sounds of the hooves clomping on the ground and Link breathing in front of her. Malon looked around, the field was still the same physically, sure there was an extra lookout attached to the castle town, incase of emergency messages, after one of the Zora messengers almost got killed by a pack of ravenous wolfos.

She began to look beyond the scenery, into her own thoughts; Hyrule had changed since he left, four years ago. The fields were rampant with wolves at night, and stalchildren ran until dawn. Ingo had tried taking over the ranch almost as soon as Link left, but princess Zelda intervened, almost as if she was watching Malon, she began to up the payment the Lon Lon Ranch was receiving, and issued the land as private property in the name of Talon, instead of public. But even with the move to private property, it remained open to everyone who wanted to buy, sell, or even just hangout for a while with the animals. After all, Talon was a pretty personable guy.

Still, they had their horrible hardships; the Gerudos had taken her cousin one summer, they were still hoping to get him back. He was attractive, she knew from all the girls who came by to see him all the time while he was working with them on the farm. With copper-toned hair and thick muscles and a tan. His eyes held the same youth and strength as fresh earth, and he was tall for his age, at sixteen being six foot, three inches. The Gerudos weren't going to kill him, heavens no; he had some good genetics in him that the Gerudos will use, if anything escape would be like torture to him for the rest of his life, after all the fun he was sure to be having.

Her mother's nephew, goddess, she missed her mother; she was very young when her mother died, but it stuck in her mind. That terrible fire in Kakariko that stole her mother's life and caused her father to move out into the field and build a fortress-like ranch to keep his only daughter safe.

"We're here." Link said, patting Epona's neck as the steed breathed deeply from its gallop. His words brought Malon out of her musings of the past.

"Ok." She flatly stated, feeling deflated at the past angers and problems they had.

"You alright?" he asked, putting a hand on her arm as they got off the horse.

"Yes. I am fine, just…thinking." She began to walk up the slope. "Bye Link. I will see you-" she turned to see Link climbing up with her, the horse in tow.

"Epona would like some rest back at the ranch. You should take care of her for now, but I won her in a bet, so I will come to get her back." He told her, gently leading the horse.

"In a bet?" she asked, obviously not remembering the race with Ingo when Gannon still had rule of the land two years from now, before he was sealed.

"Yes." He said, smiling, not going to tell her anything more. "Race you to the horse pen?" he offered and she grinned, taking off suddenly, as fast as her legs could carry.

Link slipped on his bunny hood, which barely fit on his now, and burst out, giving Epona a run for her money too, the horse made first place to the pen, to be expected, interacting with the other horses after so long, and Link made second, leaning against the gate.

"Wow…you got…fast" Malon said panting a little.

"It's the hood, it has a special power to it." He told her, taking the bunny ears off his head. "I should be going now. I have some much-needed sleep to catch up on. I'll be fine on my own." He waved his goodbye with a smile and slowly walked out of the ranch, backwards to get a good view of his farm girl friend for as long as he could.

He replaced the hood and darted across the field at the speed of a small mare, passing early wolves and grasses with ease. He entered the forest, weaving his way across the path until he spotted Mido keeping guard again, where Link jumped over him with ease.

He grinned at the yelling form behind him, and made his way to his tree house, quickly climbing the ladder and opening the door he had made before he left for Termina. He found his cabinet and items still safe. He relaxed and placed his hood on a rack by the door, for later use, along with his sword and shield, fierce deity's mask, and wallet. He closed the lock on the door so no one could get in, and placed the boards over the windows, fitting into the slots easily but impossible to enter from the outside. After the ordeal with Gannon, he began to think of personal safety a lot more.

Finally he flopped down on his bed, and looked at the ladder in his ceiling. The Great Deku Tree had blessed his home; it was a growing tree in itself, with a balcony higher up and a ladder leading up to that balcony. He though of the Great Deku Tree, and missed him dearly, but the seedling had sprouted and tomorrow he would go visit before he left for the Lon Lon Ranch. "Home sweet home." He muttered happily as he looked around, everything was in place and decorated nicely, and it was expanding with him, to accommodate his growth.

His left hand began to glow as the triforce reacted to something, had been reacting to something nearby. He began to walk around the room, after taking off his gloves and boots to feel more at home. Soon the glowing grew stronger as he neared the rack for his most commonly used items, which was conveniently located by the door. The fierce deity's mask began to glow too, along with his sword. He lifted his sword, not wanting to touch the mask in such a unique state.

The mask, propped up by the wall, opened its mouth and began to speak in a low guttural voice, but still, Link wasn't afraid of that voice. "Link. I am the embodiment of the strongest warriors to ever walk this planet, you have surpassed them all and tamed the power in this mask, but you must improve. You will come of age soon, and then you need to be ready for the greatest trial, the greatest test ever invented. A true warrior is well versed and at least mediocre in all areas of combat." The mask told him, the eyes staring at Link's blue orbs.

"I don't want to be a warrior! I want to relax for the rest of my life." Link protested, feeling his sword pulse with disagreement.

"Yet you still hold your sword and shield, all your items and money, even though you know in such a peaceful village as this, all of that is useless. You are a warrior thick and thin, true to the end. And your life will get easier, after one last trial for you to face, then you can settle down, as long as you can keep the peace." The mask offered him, and Link seemed slightly less angered, but still not happy. "This task is something you must do through, and do train in all forms of combat, you will never know what the test is." After that his hand stopped glowing, the mask settled down and fell over, and sword finished throbbing for battle. Link sighed with regret. "So much for relaxing, but hey my birthday, that the Deku Tree told me, isn't for half a year!"

He lied down back on his bed and smiled as sleep began to roll over him. Soon blackness edged his vision and he fell into a deep and comfortable, dreamless sleep. He slept for a few hours before a loud knocking came from his door, and then a sob in the form of his name came out. "LINK!" it shouted at him and he jumped up, moving swiftly to the door, unbarring it, grabbing his ocarina and sword and shield. He opened he door swiftly, to see a sobbing Malon, with a slumped form of Talon over her shoulder.

"MIDO!" Link screamed into the night, and got the attention of the very Kokiri doing patrols, just coming from the Deku Tree gravesite, Mido looked up at Link and the two other forms.

"What?" he yelled. "These two bothering you?" he yelled up and the whole village was up.

"Get some deku leaves, and the twins, over to my house now! Severe burns and cuts!" Link shouted, taking Talon's slumped form, how Malon got the heavy man up to his balcony was beyond Link, moving him to his bed. Mido ran off, going to the twins' house and telling them to get over to Link's house with their deku leaves supply, while he went to the storehouse.

The twins rushed over and told the sobbing Malon and the confused Link to go somewhere else, it was too cramped and there was really nothing the two could do. Link Led Malon up to his second balcony and watched her sob quietly over the edge of the railing that had been grown out naturally. "Want to tell me what happened?" Link asked, leaning next to her, unsure of what to do.

She shook her head.

"Alright, I will be here for when you want to talk." He told her, putting a hand on her arm, and Malon turned to him, latching her arms around his chest pulling him close as she sobbed into his tunic. Link began to pat her back and make shushing noises to calm her.

"It's the charcoal makers from earlier, they came back for revenge on me." She sobbed out finally, clutching him ever tighter. "I never should have hit that guy with the slingshot. I should have let you handle it!" she wailed and Link held her closer to him, feeling that she needed this reassurance.


	2. Bath and Revenge for Revenge

The Return

Ch.2: Revenge for Revenge and the Bathtub

"So let me get this straight. They came after you, even though I threatened to kebob them with my arrows."

"They couldn't get to you, it would have taken years to find you, and even then the forest would have drove them crazy."

"Hmmm…" link still wasn't quite so sure they would go after a little farm girl. "What about Ingo?" Link questioned, asking about the very annoyed farm hand.

"He got out during the fire, we don't know where he went." Malon rubbed some tears from her eyes.

"He's going to be fine!" One of the twins yelled, climbing up the ladder to join the two teenagers.

"Hi." Link waved. "So how bad is it?"

"He'll live, but he needs lots of rest, and he lost a tendon in his left arm, it wont be the same ever again, but he'll live." The other said coming up the ladder herself. "Wow. The view here is so wonderful." She commented, looking out over the railing of a high balcony to see over the land and watch as Mido fell into the pond by the shop.

"Heh. He is such an idiot." Link chuckled to himself.

Malon began to climb down the ladder to see her father, and Link, having grown tired of formality in his travels, jumped down, landing in a roll, catching Malon as she fell from letting go of the ladder in surprise. "Nice catch." She muttered, her eyes still red and puffy from crying.

"No problem." The two went to Talon, passed out, with bandages all over his arms and some salve still sticking in some areas of his body. "Let's go get you cleaned up Malon, you have some stuff on your face." Link said quietly, grabbing his wash stuff from their shelves, and taking Malon gently by the arm.

The twins watched Link and the fiery-headed girl walk along the path to the Lost Woods, climbing the ledges and vines to get to where the Kokiri bathed. "They are so cute together." Said one of the twins, looking at Link carefully lead the sill depressed Malon to the pond.

"Yeah, we should be going, this isn't our house after all." Agreed the other, climbing down the ladder. "You do know what they are going to ask don't you?"

"That if she can stay here?"

"Yeah, and you know the answer to that." The first twin landed flat on her feet, and walked to the front door.

"Uh…no?" the other twin said, walking out the front door after her sister.

"Exactly. I am surprised Link is even allowed to stay, but well, Mido is afraid of him now."

"Well, it is actually up to the Deku Sprout, she might actually get to stay."

"Yeah, right." The two talked all the way back to their house, as Link and Malon made their way through the forest, that is, until a familiar face came into view.

"Hi…Link." Came a wooden rag doll of a creature, a skull kid. And two familiar fairy's floated around his shoulders.

"Hi skull kid, Tael, and, of course, Tatl." Link mentioned, side stepping the skull kid, who he still didn't trust completely.

"Hi Link!" Tatl buzzed happily around Link's head.

"Hi Tatl." Link said, putting out a hand for the little fairy to have a spot to rest.

"You seem different." She buzzed as the skull kid and Malon stood there awkwardly. "You have more personality, more…muscle." The shinning ball of light observed looking him up and down.

"Well traveling changes a boy." He told her. "I'll come see you guys later, I have something to do right now, and I'll tell you guys all about my travels."

He waved them off, and started to walk off, with Malon right behind him, towards the pond where the Kokiri bathed. "You're quiet." Link observed as his friend walked through the forest with him in silence.

"I don't feel like talking."

"That's a first." He muttered and got a slap in the shoulder from Malon who put up a smile.

Link smiled back and they raced each other when the pond came into view, Link without his bunny hood. They tied and skidded to a halt at the edge. Link laughed a little and began to undress himself. His tunic came off, leaving his tights on, but his chest bare in the moonlight. It was pale, obviously not used to the sun's kiss, with scars and muscles packed into the skin, making him more rugged looking and handsome as a whole. She raked over the view, from his legs, perfectly shaped and muscled, to his waist, a perfect fit, for his body, then to his chest and stomach, with the begins of some true tone to them forming. Finally her eyes reached his face, getting a really clear look at him.

His hair was perfectly cut for him, with crystalline eyes; his nose was sharp and centered, right above his thin lips. There she saw another scar, a small one, right below his left nostril, and traveling in a thin line across his upper lip. "How did you get that scar?" she asked, putting her hand to his face, letting her thumb gently trace the thin and small, hardly visible scar on his face. His face was thin and narrow to the touch, with high cheekbones, that offered him dimples when he smiled.

"A fight with a friend." He told her, not giving anything else away from his past adventures. His eyes fell away from her, and she smiled at his cheeks turning red in the form of a blush.

"You're really shy aren't you?" she asked him, taking her hand away, to let it rest on the side of her cotton white dress.

"Only around…" he stopped himself in the middle of the sentence, keeping it simple.

He turned away from her and began to undress still; his shyness obviously didn't cover nudity. "Um, Link?" Malon questioned him, turning away her face as red as her hair.

"What?" he asked, stepping into the water. Link grew up bathing with the other Kokiri, when he was still young, when he didn't care if anyone saw him, he still didn't really, not experienced in the ways of etiquette in bathing, or the change girls went into at all.

"I would like to bathe alone." She told him, when she had begun to grow breasts and hips growing in, she had become very self-conscience, not wanting Link to view her bodice until she wanted him to.

"What? Why? Bathing is always more fun with two people!" he told her, swimming on his back, and Malon turned her head the other way again and her face got even redder at the view she had just seen.

"Well its Hyrule etiquette, women and men bathe separately until married…" she trailed off, deciding it was better to turn her back.

"Oh, well…jeez…uh…" Link swam away behind a rather large and long rock. "Uh this alright?" he asked, and Malon turned around to see just the top of Link's blonde head.

"That is good, just don't turn around." She shyly began to undress, first her dress then the cloth strips holding her breasts up, and finally her underwear, and she slowly went into the water. The water was uniquely warm, then she saw it, they were rather close to Death Mountain, the magma from the active volcano must have made the water warmer. She swam to the long rock; she put her back against it. She had taken the soap and basin with her, putting them up on the rock in between them.

"So, I noticed you are a shy talker, but you don't care who sees you naked." Malon tried to make small talk after that particularly awkward situation.

"Um yea, I grew up with people who have the minds and bodies of children, I have no clue about the changes from children to adults. Or proper mannerisms." Link answered her, feeling strange at the close proximity, even if the rock was in their way.

Malon reached for the bar of soap as Link did too, their hands greeting each other, and they drew away quickly, the bar of soap sliding down the rock into the water. "Crap!" Link yelled, diving under water to look for the bar, Malon did the same. They began searching the area, and Link dived deeper, reaching the green bar, resurfacing quickly with a gasp of air.

"Found it!" he said, the bar had been depleted some, but they would get through the bath fine. He resurfaced right next to a swimming Malon, and blushed deeply as his eyes registered the curvaceous sight in front of him. He felt a stirring, some extra blood flow, and he became hot, something getting harder on his body…he hadn't felt this way in so long…

"AH!" she screamed, putting her arms around her chest, putting her whole body up to her neck underwater, why Link didn't understand, it was still clear to see.

He quickly darted behind the rock and began to wash himself. First his legs and body, slightly sitting on the rock, then his face, he dunked under water after scrubbing. Then his hair came next, he hated this part. He broke a small piece of soap off and began to lather it in his hair and scalp. Now it was going to get bad. He dunked under water, rubbing at his hair and scalp to wash out the suds until it felt clean.

When he resurfaced, he yelped as he got soap in his eyes. Malon giggled as she washed her long legs, lifting one up high enough for Link to see, through blurred vision, to see some of her silky smooth skinned legs. He swam a ways away and went under; get the soap out of his eyes and then resurfacing to see Malon finish up washing her hair, without getting soap in her eyes, and swimming away. He watched her get out, her firm tail end and hips swaying with every step she took. He put that together with what he saw earlier, and his arousal was now throbbing, thoughts of running up and grabbing her came to mind, but he controlled it.

He gulped, and swam behind the rock, waiting for Malon to say she was finished dressing, after drying off with a spare blanket. When she had finished, she turned her back and heard Link grab the soap and basin Malon used, swim to shore and rub himself dry with a spare, ragged blanket. He dressed and then told Malon she could turn around.

She saw him, he was in his tunic, but his hat was in his belt, as his hair was still too wet to put on the hat, and she then realized how long his hair was, the parts that weren't spiked from the partial drying they went through, the blonde hair went down to his shoulders, it looked so smooth and silky.

"Come on, we should get back." He told her, moving through the trees in relative silence, they were both thoroughly embarrassed by that bath.

"Alright." She followed him closely, being careful not to lose him from sight or she might get lost in the woods again.

They moved much quicker this time, as it was getting really dark, it must be close to midnight. Then soon came to the Kokiri village. The walked now, their path clear, heading straight to Link's house. Link locked the door and windows, and then he climbed his ladder, up to his balcony, where he sat himself down against the trunk of the tree.

Malon climbed up after him, after a quick check on her father, her azure eyes seeking where he was. She found him, asleep, against the tree. She sat down next to him and smiled, he did so much for her already, getting her father help, letting her spend the night at his place, and has truly been a great friend. He leaned on her in his light snoring fit.

She giggled a little and placed his head on her lap. He looked so peaceful, and if it wasn't for that scar, she might have seen the little boy she remembered from all those years ago. She began to run her fingers through his silky smooth hair, not even a single tangle or knot was present on his head, and all she could do was smile and think, _Lucky._

She continued stroking him like a pet all through the night, watching as Mido finally went into his home for the night as another boy came to relieve him of his patrol, watching as that boy fall asleep at his post too, and then watching as her head dipped into sleep.

---

Link awoke looking up at Malon's porcelain face, framed by her beautiful red hair. He smiled and wished he could wake up like this everyday. The sun had just begun to rise, and it began to halo around her head, giving an odd and attractive effect to Malon's face, from pale, to fiery red, and then to golden yellow of the sun. It was breath taking, and yet, all Link could think to do was to share his breath with hers.

"Malon?" he asked her, realizing he didn't fall asleep like this last night. His head was comfortable and warm, and he felt her hands in his hair.

Her eyes began to lazily open. Her azure eyes fell upon his crystalline eyes and she smiled. _I wish I could wake up like this everyday._ She thought to herself. He looked so beautiful to her, his hair sprawled around him, his long ears, moving to the sides of his head, and she saw the turquoise colored earring in his ear and she smiled.

"We have work to do today." Link told her, and she tilted her head to the side.

He sat up and she continued to look at him as he put on his hat. "Those charcoal makers, they did something far beyond what they had a right to, and now they will pay." Link stood tall, he didn't have his boots or gauntlets on, but he looked every bit the hero he was rumored to be, even without his shield and sword. His tri-force began to glow on his left hand, and it just added to the glow as the sun, he seemed heavenly to her.

He lent a hand out to her. "You want revenge for their revenge?" he asked, grinning.

Malon's eyes set hard, she was ready. She nodded, she wanted to hurt those bastards, hurt them, not kill them, but hurt them, like they hurt her father. "Good. Now, should we burn their house down too?"

"I was just thinking the same thing." Malon told him and giggled, like revenge was a small matter to her. "Hmm. I would love to live like this every day." She said, looking out at the view around her, a small breeze blew in, blowing some of Malon's hair astray, some across her face.

Link held out his hand for her, and she took it, getting up. "Shall we?"

"Yes, lets." She smiled and they climbed down the ladder, Link and Malon sliding down quietly, so as not toe wake Talon. The two walked quietly that is until Link noticed the glow from his sword and mask. "No… not now." He breathed, but it was too late, the mask opened its mouth and began to speak.

"Good morning Link. It's a beautiful day out isn't?" it began in a guttural voice. It wasn't evil, just deep and ominous. "Such a wonderful day to get yourself ready for battle you know."

"I have other things to do." Link sneered at the mask, obviously not liking its hint at him having to fight.

"Like what? Would this girl have any part in it?" it seemed to get louder at Link's hushed tone, yet Talon didn't even stir. "Link, don't you think you are a little young for that?"

"I am out to hurt those who deal in pain." He said to the mask and grabbed his sword, shield, and began to look through his masks, finding the stone mask might be more than useful.

"See Link? You would make the best warrior there is. You're smart, determined, skilled, strong, and most importantly, you know your values. You could be great!" The mask seemed to laugh at the thought.

"No, I am through with this, I will get this trial you speak of done with, and then sleep in and relax for the rest of my days." He said to the mask, beginning to argue with a piece of wood carved into a perfectly polished likeness of a great and scary warrior.

"At least let me go with you. It would be a perfect time to show you what I can teach you!" It grinned at the thought of revenge on anything.

"No." he said flatly.

"I'll shut up." It offered, and Link knew it gave him his word.

"Fine, no talking for a week, go it?"

"Alright, but you have to wear me from here to where we are heading and back."

"Deal." Link slapped on the mask, clutching the sides of his head, as it seemed to be cracking. Malon rushed to his side after awkwardly keeping silent, putting a hand on his back, and then he lurched forward, screaming as he body grew and expanded, his muscles expanded, the gilded sword disappeared and instead a wavy flimsy looking sword appeared on his back. His tunic was covered in some strange armor.

His face had paint marks on it and his hair was white, along with his hat and tunic, and even his eyes were white. "Link?" Malon took a step backwards to let this new…_thing_ have some room.

"Malon. It's me, just transformed. Those five masks, they give you the form of another. I'll let you try one on later, but right now, we have business to attend to." His voice was deeper, with a tone of seriousness.

"Alright, Link." Malon said his name just to reassure herself this really was the blonde boy who spent the night in her lap.

"Let's go, here, this mask has a power that lets you not be seen, do not put it on until we have gotten to their hut, I know where it is." He handed her the stone mask, grabbed his bow and arrows, and they set off.

Epona didn't quite trust Link at first, but the coaxing and the scratches behind her ears proved his identity to the mare. "Think you can take me and Malon out?" he asked the horse. Epona responded to a snort, which Link took for 'bring it on'.

Link got on and the horse showed no signs of struggling, he watched Malon get on, not wanting to touch her in the form he was in. They galloped off; heading to the house where the lowly charcoal brothers lived. Link told Malon of the plan to humiliate them. First Link scares them into running out the back.

"The house is coming into view Malon, get in position." Malon slid off the horse and Link went around to the front of the house, and left the horse, knocking on the flimsy wood door after a few moments for all the players to set themselves up.

"Yeah? Wha' do ya' wa-" the man who answered the door, a bald man, who was portly, rather plain looking. "Earl…we have a visto'." The man's voice shook with fear at Link's 6'6" form of pure muscle and hefty and sharp sword.

Earl, a man with traditional cropped hair came into view, a large man of about 6'2" with some muscle, but not a lot, came into view. "I can see that Barney. Ted…we have company." Earl seemed to shake too, as he beckoned over the third man.

Ted was a plain man, of average height and weight, nothing special to look at, but he dressed smart and talked smart. He seemed to gawk at the huge man standing right outside their doorway. "C-c-can I h-h-help you?" he stuttered out finally.

"You know the Lon Lon Ranch?"

Two of them shook their heads 'no' but one of them nodded their heads; that was all Link needed. He lifted his thin and sharp sword above his head to slash diagonally downwards, right to left. The three men screamed and shut the door, running for the back. Link's sword came down, chopping deep into either wall and cutting the door in half, like it wasn't even there. He heard the door slam against the wall as they ran out the back way to get away from Link, the terror.

The second step was for Malon to hide with the stone mask on, and trip the men with some rope they had with them. Trip them so they landed face first into the mud.

The three charcoal brothers came running along the path, trying to run as far away as they can from the giant behind them. Malon timed it right, propped her legs up against two trees, and wrapped the rope once around her hand; now was not the time to mess up. She saw them nearing and at the precise moment, she lifted the rope, pulling back as hard as she could, sending the men tripping into the small pool of mud in the rode, but they were still in view of the house for the last part of the plan, Malon got up and ran towards Epona, they needed to escape quickly before the screaming men attracted attention.

The third part of the plain was the physical payback for Talon's injuries. One that would send them the little 'fuck you' to top off a well put together plan. Link was to shoot one of them in the arm with an arrow and a note.

The three men were disorientated and struggling to find their surroundings, when they heard a thump of boots landing. They saw Link jump up and land on their roof, drawing his bow and a singular arrow with something attached to it. He fitted the arrow and took careful aim, the bow was awkward for him, too small for his now huge size, but he was still an expert marksmen. He took swift aim and aimed for Ted's arm, him obviously being the brain of the works.

He sent the arrow flying, which hit its mark, the dead center of Ted's bicep, who howled in sudden jolting pain. He gave them an icy grin telling them he wasn't afraid for a return visit. With that he back flipped off the other end of the building, landing next to his horse with Malon, carrying the mask, already on Epona. He mounted quickly and galloped off.

Earl took the paper attached to the arrow and began to read in a strained voice, like he didn't know how to read. "I am watching you." He read out loud and on the bottom was a picture of a tree. Earl looked around at the trees covering the area around their house, but a still howling Ted stole his attention. The two other men helped Ted up carefully, and helped him back to their house.

"That lousy, no good, dog-" Earl began but didn't get to finish as three thuds were heard on their south wall. Barney carefully went outside to investigate and screamed himself when he saw what he did, on the wall where three arrows, each with a paper with the words; "I am watching you." Then followed by a single name each, different for each paper. Earl. Barney. Ted. They heard evil chuckling around their house and the three of them ran, ran far away from their house.

The fourth part of the plan was for them to enlist some help from some skull kids, who are also excellent marksmen, to shot off an arrow each after a few moments of them reentering the house. The skull kids laughed in joy and amazement as the cockroaches of men fled their home.

Link and Malon laughed all the way home.


	3. Loss of A Friend And Connection Gained

The Return

Ch. 3: Friends Lost and Connection Gained

Malon and Link, still wearing the Fierce Deity mask, rode back to the forest slowly, enjoying the time out. The task was done, it was delightfully sunny out, and they really had nothing else to do. Malon sat behind Link, hugging her arms to his side, feeling the warmth and strength of his body. He was larger than she was used to, now being more than a full foot taller than her, Malon being about five foot, six inches and Link now being about six foot six.

"Link, why was the mask talking earlier?" she asked, out of curiosity, wondering where her blonde friend went.

"It isn't just a mask, it is a blessed and cursed item. It embodies the power and soul of the greatest warriors of the planet, when they die, their strength and skills end up here, in the mask I am wearing. The other five masks also transform the being wearing them too."

"So the deku mask would turn you into a deku?" Malon asked, piecing the puzzle together.

"Yep." Link nodded, turning slightly to head onto the right path.

"The goron mask would turn you into a goron?"

Again, Link nodded.

"So the zora mask must make you a zora!"

"That is right."

"What about the iron mask?"

"That is the giant's mask- watch out for the bird." He interrupted himself as his highly trained reflexes caught one of the devious crows that like to attack travels. There was a light snap and then the bird was tossed aside. "That mask makes you huge."

"Like two feet taller or something?" her tongue sticking out as she heard the bones snap.

"No, like Castle Hyrule tall." Link pictured for her.

"Wow that is tall." Malon said, not really believing it, but then again with Link, you may just never know, after all something has been bugging her about her friend, the fairy boy, for a long while. "Where did you go these past 3 years?"

"Well, first I went to a land called Termina and I ended up meeting people who reminded me a lot of-"

"Termina? I have family who live there!" Malon said, joyously maybe he met them!

"I met Romani and Cremia…who looked a lot like…you, later and when you were younger." He said, his eyes falling down as he mentioned her looks change to in the very near future later on in life.

"They are my cousins! My aunt's kids. What did you mean later? How would you know what I look like later on in life?"

They entered the tunnel heading into the Kokiri forest. "Long story, you wouldn't believe me anyways."

"Try me."

"I'll tell you someday, maybe." Link seemed hurt at this, even in his huge and adult form, he looked like he might cry. "So anyway, I end up saving Termina, my second nationwide expulsion of evil."

"Second?"

"Yes, second. After that Epona and I traveled many lands together. We met so many people, saved so many people, and fought so many battles, it was so invigorating."

"Didn't you get lonely on the road all the time?"

"I had Epona, isn't that right girl?" he patted Epona's flank and the horse snorted its response. "But sometimes I had travel partners. There was Maria, remember her Epona?" The horse whined in delight, she seemed to like Maria.

"Who was Maria?" Jealousy seeping slowly into her voice.

"Maria was a mercenary, she was gorgeous and funny, always had a story to tell. But she and I…we…" Link bit his lip.

"What happened?" Malon was getting concerned.

"We fought, we ended up on opposite sides of a battle, and we fought. The bandits paid her; I went for justice and fought for the village that was being terrorized. She had two long and slim blades" he shuddered and became really quiet, being lost in thought.

---

_Link stood there, 12 years old, already a master swordsman and wizard in the eyes of many. He placed on his favored mask, the Fierce Deity mask, and he then stood over six feet tall. But Maria recognized him, even if he was different, she knew his reputation of being a wizard, and she saw him kill many of her 'allies'._

"_Link. Let's fight. Just you and me, one on one." She said, her blonde tresses falling over her face, sticking to her tanned brow from the sweat, covering her amber gleaming eyes. "We will settle our argument over who is the better swordsman."_

_Link smiled and took off his mask. "Are you sure, I might hold back."_

"_I am sure, fight to the death Link, we are on opposite sides of this match, lets make our fight worthwhile." She lunged quickly, but Link's shield deflected the blow easily, his own sword coming up in a counterstrike only to meet her second one._

_Link slashed low, Maria blocked low. Maria swung high, Link deflected high. Link lunged and Maria parried. Maria gave a quick slash downward, but Link dodged back, giving only a small cut from his left nostril across to the right side of his lip. "Nice dodge." Maria grinned at the small line of blood trickling down his face._

"_I will pay you back for that, you know." Link grinned and slashed hard, aiming directly for her sword, the thin metal crinkling under the power of that blow. "See, now we are even."_

"_Yea right kid, things like that are worth nothing in the real world." The two swords collided, the two got close, the two great strengths colliding in a superb struggle. Maria grinned at Link, who still had blood dripping down his chin and lips. She kicked him in the stomach and Link rolled on the ground, coming up in a guarding roll, kicking Maria's legs out from under her and back flipping to a respectable dueling distance. Maria could hear some strange music grace the air around them._

_Maria Grinned feeling bloodlust take over her body and mind. She found a worthy opponent, and now she was going to prove she was the better one. She came in fast, ready to strike, and Link stood there, unready to block, but something collided with her, and she saw the grinning face of Link as she saw the smiling face of Link slam his shield into her side. _

"_What?" Then she saw it, the first Link that was standing there began to disappear. _

"_I am a 'wizard' after all." His ocarina shown as he held it out in his hands. Then he put on a mask, that reminded Maria of a Zora, and Link groaned and screamed for a moment, Then came up taller than Maria, with green tipped fins and a zora's body. "Hi Maria." He said then Maria came at a slash and Link enlargened his fin so it blocked her sword with a resounding clang. Link countered with a punch into Maria's gut._

_As Maria regained her composure Link placed on his goron mask, and the same happened. He Grabbed Maria in a grasping bear hug. "Say I win." He grinned from ear to ear._

"_Never." She stabbed down with her sword, straight through Link's foot. _

"_OWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!" He howled._

---

"Link!" Malon yelled at him and Link shook his head. He was at his house and Malon was already up the ladder. Link reached up, brushing his white hair and then removing the mask, which never said a peep, and looked at his reflection in his mirror shield. He was blonde and blue eyed again, and he smiled. "What happened? You just seemed to zone out."

"Sorry…remembering a time gone by." He sat down against trunk and took off his boot, looking at the still horrible scar on his foot, and on the sole of his foot. It was round and shaped like the point of a sword. He sighed… he had killed Maria that day she gave him that scar; it truly was a fight to the death.

"Link…" Malon whispered watching this action with awe and sympathy. " I…I am going to go check on my father."

He heard her footsteps enter the house and he sat there. The mask propped up on against the tree. "I am giving you temporary permission to speak, so I have something to ask."

The mask's eyes opened, as did its mouth as if to take a breath. "Yes? Of what?"

"Are all the greatest warriors men?" he asked and the mask laughed hysterically.

"Not even half of the greatest warriors are men. Let me guess you need advice on the girl?"

"Yeah." He whispered but the long ears of the mask heard all the same.

"We can't help you. After all, love is a battlefield." The mask stopped glowing and rested there saying nothing.

"Wait…love is a battlefield?" He echoed, looking up at the sky and the green leaves that surrounded the area. Green…like Saria's hair. How he missed her but she had disappeared in the realm of the sages so long ago, of course, Mido blamed him for it.

He sighed, his best friend in the whole world gone…or was she?" Link got a brilliant idea. He got out his ocarina and played Saria's song, the song that connected them. He played as best he could, for as long as he could. Nothing. Then, he realized, Navi wasn't there. Navi was the root of the magic, without his fairy that made his connection…he couldn't talk to her.

"Even if Navi was here, it wouldn't work." Came a small voice from behind him.

He looked up and there above him was Saria's fairy. "So you didn't get to go with her when she left? And it worked before when I tried it with Navi."

"No, I am not a sage, nor am I the hero of time, I am the fairy who can't see her child. And maybe the sages realm gives extra powers but I am stuck here."

"Where have you been all this time?" wondering why this fairy seemed so emotional.

"I have been living in Saria's house, never leaving."

"I'm surprised you even remember." Link sat book, lifting his neck up to feel the rays of the sun.

"I am a fairy, I am more intone with changes in magic, and in the timeline itself." The fairy rested on Link's shoulder. "So why were you trying to call her?"

"I haven't heard from her in so long, talked to her or anything. She was my best friend."

"Well we both could use a friend now, maybe I'll stick around."

"I don't know…I might get Tatl to be my new partner." Link muttered, remembering he didn't even know the fairy's name.

"Tatl? The rouge fairy that hangs out with that skull kid and her brother?" Saria's fairy seemed to scoff.

"Tatl and I had an adventure a while back, in Termina."

"Oh well…I might want to stick around anyways." The fairy seemed to buzz off into the distance, that's when Link noticed the smoke rising up from the forest.

"What the hell is that?" He yelled, sliding on his boot and running towards the forest. He ran hearing Malon call his name in the distance.

He ran, feeling hotter and hotter the closer he got. The fire was pretty big, and there he saw it, two glowing balls of light in the distance, one purple, and one white. "Tatl!" Link called out but he couldn't be heard over the crackling of the fire. Smoke began to fill his lungs. "Tael! Skull Kid!" He shouted some more but to no avail.

He ran as fast as his legs could carry. "TATL! TAEL! SKULL KID!" He practically screamed, this time some wood turned around, it was the Skull Kid with two jars in his hand, one for each fairy. The fairies lay near the bottom, unconscious. "WHAT HAPPENED?" he shouted, Malon coming up right behind him with Mido and the twins. "Malon stand back!" He jumped through a hole in the fire to land on the other side. "Come on! Lets go!"

"LINK!" she shouted, seeing one huge tree begin to fall where the 0only good exit out of the ring of fire was.

He pulled on the Skull Kid's arm then he saw it, one of his legs was missing and his hip pouring out what looked like thick green sap…it was the Skull Kid's lifeblood. "It's too late." He said and pushed Link hard, sending him flying back out the whole he came in, before it closed up with a tree falling.

The Skull Kid looked Link square in the eye for the first time. "I couldn't let you be the only hero." He said calmly, his eyes filled with sorrow, and tossed Link the two bottles. "Tell them it's been fun. You will tell them, wont you, hero?" He said again and Link barely heard him over the fire and the crackling of wood. The Skull Kid's face formed a smile, for the first time in his life.

"No Skull Kid…hold on! I'll save you!" Link shouted handing Malon the bottles and pulling out his ocarina, tears streaming down his face.

He began to play the song of storms as loud as he could. He began to repeat it as the rains came and a loud thunderous crack was heard, as a large, still flaming tree landed on the Skull Kid, his hat blowing away. "SKULL KID!" He shouted. Now tears and rain stained his face. He played the song of storms some more, pouring in his anger and frustration. The storm went from a light rainstorm to a thunderous tropical grade 5 storm. The fire went out like a light.

He played the song of healing, but the place where the Skull Kid was flattened didn't move. He began to play the song of time. Nothing. He played it again and again and again to no avail. He played until his fingers were raw and red with useless pain. He still cried. _That stupid Skull kid. If only he held on a little longer…I…I…_ he thought to himself finally putting down his ocarina, more like letting it drop.

"Mido bring these to whoever can help them…please…" Malon said, kneeling down and handing Mido the bottles. Mido gently carried the bottles while running to the twins and their fairies, who could surly help the fairies. She turned to Link who knelt not ten feet away from where he was knocked out of the fire after entering. "Link…" she put a hand on his shoulder.

"No…" he breathed taking his shoulder from her, he couldn't look her in the eye. He failed to save someone, would he fail to save Malon if she was ever in trouble again? Could he do it, or would he just be able to watch her die, like he did with Skull Kid? Then his eyes grew wide as two lovingly warm arms wrapped around his chest. "Malon…" he breathed.

"Shhh…you did all you could. It was beyond your abilities, you tried your best." Somehow, those words calmed him. He began to sob less and his tears eventually dried up, and they sat there, ten feet from the smoldering pile of wood and Skull Kid, sitting in the rain and the wind, hearing the thunder and seeing the lightning around them, yet not caring. No matter how bad the storm looked, it would never hurt the one who created it.

She ran her fingers through his hair, soothing his trouble away with every finger touching his scalp. Skull Kids began to walk around them, ten at least, where the fallen Skull Kid lay for his final rest. The walked over the now damp instead of hot wood, to where their companion lay. They lifted the tree, tossing it off in the distance, and picking up the battered and charred body of the wooden child. One of them went over to the two kneeling lovers. A thunderclap was heard in the distance as the creature lifted a slightly charred hat.

He placed it on Malon's head, gave a slight smile and then the whole lot of Skull Kids disappeared without a trace. Link turned and cried further into Malon's shoulder, clutching her tight to him. She dipped her head, letting his head settle into the nook of her neck. He began to whisper something even Malon had trouble hearing. "Don't…don't leave me…don't leave me Malon! Not again…please…not again…" he kept repeating this until he fell asleep in her arms, almost as soon as the rain stopped.

She waited until Mido came back to check on them, they managed to carry him down to his house. They couldn't get him up his ladder, so Malon set him up under his balcony. She sat down, her back to the tree, and she set Link's wet head down her already wet lap.

She saw something weird next to her, and she began to look closer. A drawing was there, of a giant monster and a tiny Link with his sword there and she smiled at the irony. A small boy wanting the life of this teenager, and now this teenager, wanting the life of that small boy. Her eyes began to grow heavy, and her dipped down, her lids to her soul closing, for the night.

---

Malon awoke with a stir as Link began to thrash about in his dreams, murmuring things that didn't make sense. "Malon…no…don't go, not again…I finally have you again…don't leave…" she began to call him, taking water from a puddle nearby, but still he didn't wake up. She slapped him once, but that didn't affect him, her hands ran through his hair trying to soothe him, but nothing worked. Finally an idea popped into her head.

She leaned down, straining her back and neck, slightly parting her lips to Link's own slightly parting lips. Malon slowly licked her lips and pressed hers to Link's. His eyes shot open at the contact, but he knew this feel, it had been so long since the velvety smooth touch of her lips graced his…

Then memories of last night came to mind…the fire, the hurt fairies, and…Skull Kid… Link tore away from the kiss, feeling a mixture of happiness and disgust, happiness because he got something he had been waiting for, for so long, and disgust at himself for thinking he deserved it.

Malon turned away quickly, thinking he was disgusted with her, but at the self-depressed look he had on, she knew it wasn't her. He was still beating himself up over last night. "Did you start that fire?"

"What?" he asked, looking at the fire framed face of Malon.

"Tell me, did you start that fire?"

"No!" he seemed confused over what Malon was trying to get at.

"Did you cause that tree to fall?"

"No."

"Then it isn't your fault, stop beating yourself up over it." Link merely went back to thinking, getting lost in memories best forgotten. Malon sighed; he wasn't going to forget anytime soon, so she might as well get comfortable instead. She put him in a hug, much like when he was crying last night. "Did you like the kiss?" she said with a sly smile, trying hard to get his mind off himself.

"Huh? Well…I…" he started to blush and stammer and Malon couldn't help but giggle. He was cute when he was being naïve.

"That was a rhetorical question sweetheart." She said, still giggling.

"I never asked, how was your father when you checked on him last night?" Link tried to change the subject.

"He'll live, snoring away like that, how he ever started the Lon Lon Ranch is beyond me." She wrinkled her nose, the thought that her father actually worked hard enough to get that farm going was absurd.

"No. You can't get in." Mido said, trying to pull on the cape of a soldier heading into the forest. Royal family messenger or not, no one but Kokiri and invited friends were allowed. Both heads turned to watch Mido and the soldier.

The man looked around for a second, when he spotted Link and Malon he began to walk towards them. "Are you Sir Link and Lady Malon?" The soldier asked, standing straight with perfect posture.

Link Stood up, a foot shorter than the man in front of him. "I am Link."

Malon got up too, dusting off her white cotton dress. "I am Malon. Nice to meetcha', Mr. …"

"Not important. This is a message from the Princess Zelda." The messenger gave Link a folded paper with the wax seal of the Royal Family on it and Zelda's tiny and neat signature on one corner.

Link looked briefly at Malon then broke the seal and began reading with difficulty. "D-dear Mr. L-L-Link…" he started to stutter out then turned to Malon. "Can you read?"

"Yes I can. Here, let me see." Link handed Malon the paper. "Dear Mr. Link and Ms. Malon, It has come to my attention that the Lon Lon Ranch is no more. That and the red haired young woman, Malon, from said ranch, was seen riding off and entering the Kokiri Forest. Not to mention the strange fire that could be seen all the way from my abode in the castle. I have been quite curious with this action and need to speak with Link myself over matters of national security. Please come to the castle so we may talk. Zelda." Malon finished looking up from the message.

"We'll go." Link sighed out and the messenger left, Mido giving up at kicking the man out when he was leaving on his own.

"First before you go, would you like to see how the fairies are doing?" Mido asked, getting up from sitting on the ground.

"Yes. I would like to see how Tatl and Tael are doing." They walked off to where the twin's house was, hoping to find the fairies were alright. Link's eyes widened at what he saw.


	4. Fairy Tales and Princss Rumors

The Return

Ch. 4: Fairy Tales and Princess Rumors

The twins and fairies were buzzing around in a highly unique dance, while the two injured fairies lay still on a table. "Oh sorry…" said one of the twins, blushing and looking away. Link ignored them.

"How is she?" Link asked, looking at the small ball of white light.

"She'll be fine, just a little bit of heat stroke." One of the twin's fairies spoke.

"She's beautiful." Malon breathed, seeing the tiny being with long legs, for its size, and smooth silky skin. She had large breasts for her size too, with elongated fingers and non-pointed ears. Blue curly hair licked their way down her back, until they reached her ankles.

"What? Yeah, she is." Link said, looking more at Malon then Tatl. "Tatl?"

The fairy's green eyes opened and they blinked with a groan. "Sku-Skull Kid?" She called, shaking her head.

"N-no." Link shallowly said, Malon nudging him with her elbow to get over it, the death was sad, but it wasn't his fault.

"Where is Skull Kid?" She asked, beginning to beat her clear wings, but she was still too weak to fly. "Where's Tael?"

Link put his hand down for Tatl to get on, and she crawled on, and he carried her over to where the purple glowing fairy was. Tael was resting on some blankets and he was snoring lightly on his back. He was muscular for his size, and well built with shoulder length purple hair. His nose was small for his face and his chin was narrowed for a guy.

"TAEL!" Tatl shouted, and her brother jumped, beating his thin-feathered wings, shaped like a bird's, floating high enough to hit his head on the ceiling.

"OW! What the hell sis?" he shouted back.

"You watch your mouth, I was worried about you! I didn't know what happened after the men captured us."

"Tell us what happened last night." Link offered, and Malon put out her hand for Tael to rest on.

"Well we were resting on some logs in the shade while Skull Kid went to get us some food, it was his turn. I fell asleep soon so sis knows the rest." Tael started, sitting cross-legged on Malon's hand. "What's with the Skull Kid's hat?" Tael looked weirdly at the hat on Malon's head.

"On story at a time." Malon told Tael, trying to put off the bad news as long as she could.

"Ugh. Three men came up behind us, they caught us in a net and then forced us into some bottles, taking us to their camp."

"Wait, these three men? What did they look like?" Link asked Tatl.

"One was bald and rather heavy set, another had short brown hair and was rather tall, and the last one looked like the smartest of the group, talking and acting smart. He had a large bandage and sling on his arm."

Link's eye twitched, and he started to fist his hands, Tatl just barely managing to fly to his shoulder before he ended up crushing her. "What was that Link? You nearly crushed me!"

"The charcoal brothers…" Link breathed out, he was sick of their names.

"Just go on Tatl, Link has some run ins with the men who caused this." Malon muttered, putting a hand on Link's tensed shoulder.

"Skull Kid tried to get us back. But the bottles were rattled so much that I was knocked unconscious." Tatl told them.

"I was awake!" Tael said, beginning to tell his sword of the story, floating up and sitting on Malon's head. "The Skull Kid came by and tried to sneak us out, but the three men saw him, and ran to catch him, but Skull Kid was too fast, and the guys were clumsy, they knocked over a lantern they had. The forest caught fire and Skull Kid's foot was crushed under a tree that had feel from the fire. I was knocked out from the heat after that. Is Skull Kid alright?"

Link looked away. "He…died Tael." Malon told him, feeling the tensing muscles more as Link's shoulder flexed and un-flexed in rapid succession.

"He did?" Tatl looked at Link's face as best she could.

"Link tried to save him, but the Skull Kid pushed him out of harms way and tossed him the bottles filled with you guys." Malon explained for Link. "He thinks it is his fault Skull Kid is no more."

"Link…" Tatl put a hand to his cheek. "It isn't your fault, you're just beating yourself up."

"He holds himself to such a high standard he can't possibly fill it." Came a voice from inside Link's travel pouch on his back.

Link lifted out the now glowing mask from his pack. "I thought you said no talking for a week?"

"Link is that what I think it is?" Tatl said, looking at the mask in Link's hands with a mixture of admiration and fear.

"Yes I am, and it is so nice to see you Tatl. Look. Link you hold yourself at such a high standard, that not even you can fill it." The mask told him, surprising everyone but Link and Malon. "You aren't going to get any better at anything if you don't set more reasonable standards and goals. You are going to be going through the right of passage soon. You will be a man and need all your skills to be mghf!" it started ranting as Link shoved his hand over the mask's mouth.

"Do you ever shut up? For a hunk of wood, you sure do talk a lot." Tatl floated down to land on the mask's forehead.

"OW! It bit me!" Link's hand rose high into the air with a red bite mark on the heel of the palm.

"I can help you get better if you trust me." The mask offered, but Link ignored it and stuffed the mask into the pack. "There's going to be a sword fighting tourney held in the next land over to the west, not the east, past the desert will be people who could probably rival you Link."

"I'm leaving, coming Malon, Tatl, Tael?" He asked, Tatl sitting on his hat, and Tael resting comfortably on Malon's new hat, as Malon fell into step with Link.

They left the house, the twins in deep confusion. "What do you mean a swordsmanship tournament?"

"In the land where the desert sets, is a grand arena where anyone can enter to test their skills against one another."

"And how do you know that?" Malon asked, not really sure of the mask's true intentions.

"Just think Link, this tournament could give you the strength you need to protect this pretty young girl." The mask offered and Link's ears twitched as a sign that the mask had Link's full attention. "I know about this tournament because the last person to become part of my being was someone you know dear Link, and he won that Tournament with his hand tied."

"Oh? And who was do I know dearly?" The crystalline eyed boy skeptical.

"Your only blood relative who could teach you everything you know, your own father." Link stopped dead in his tracks, two steps in front of Epona.

"My what? What did you say?" He whipped out the mask but it had a smirk on its face and the glowing was wearing off.

"I can't talk for a week Link, want to know more? Enter the tournament in one week. Go through the desert, it takes about two days to get there, go Link, and I will tell you more, or better yet, HE will tell you more." The mask stopped glowing all together, with the smirk still on its face.

"Grr…" Link was about to break the thing in half, but it had the key to revealing everything Link wanted to know about himself. "Lets go to the castle while I am still in a good mood." He muttered, steam seemed to shoot out his ears at the anger blush on his face, that Tatl had to hide with her brother on Malon's new hat. Link jumped on Epona, being gentle, after all the horse had nothing to do with his bad mood.

"Oh Tael, you might want to get under the hat." Tatl disappeared under Link's hat, thinking he wont mind.

"Why Tatl?" her brother asked slipping under Malon's hat.

"This horse goes fast Tael!" Malon shouted as Epona reared up on her hind legs and galloped off at top speed. It took them half a day to cross the Hyrule field to the castle, small talking along the way, even though Link remained mostly quiet, thinking about what the mask said about his father, except for the last portion of the ride where he got into some trouble with Malon.

"Link, you going to be ok?" Tatl asked from under his hat, keeping the heat on his head.

Link lightly shook his head. "Huh? Oh yeah, just thinking. So what do you guys think Zelda wants us for?"

"I have no clue for me, but she might make you an army captain." Malon suggested, hugging Link close to her.

"Great. If that happens, remind me to kill myself." He muttered.

"Malon smacked his shoulder and Tatl pulled on of his hairs. "Don't even joke about that!" The two yelled at the same time.

"Do I look like I am joking?"

"Look ladies, Link obviously has some tough things to sort out in his head, lets just…"

"Shut up, all of you." He said, looking down and he could feel the piercing gaze of a shocked Malon.

Her hands rested at her sides, balancing just fine without even touching Link. "You shouldn't have said that." Tatl whispered from under Link's hat.

Link kept his eyes ahead of him and tromped through the market with his horse to the gates of the castle. "Link and Malon to see the princess Zelda." Link stated flatly. The guard nodded and slammed his spear butt on the ground, causing the gate open.

"She is in a meeting at this moment, but she will be out shortly, you are welcome to spend your time at the entrance." Link tied Epona up at a post near the entrance to the castle, overseeing the field and the guards walking their patrol routes.

"Who knows maybe she wants to marry you." Malon scoffed, sitting on the steps in front of the entrance.

"I don't know, maybe she is." Malon flinched, and she saw Link did too at what he said. "I'm sorry Malon its just that I…uh…I…"

"It's ok, I know you have had your stresses lately, I just wanted to hear you say you were sorry for your outburst."

"To be fair, it wasn't much an outburst." Tael said, yawning on top of Malon's new hat.

"Shut up Tael." Tatl mentioned, rushing out to fly around.

Malon and Link ignored the two bickering siblings. He sent Malon a small smile, indicating his sorrow for snapping at them earlier. "Hello Link, Malon." A feminine voice said from the entrance and the four heads turned to see princess Zelda walking out the door. A very refined Zora stood next to her, all dark blue with petite, retracted fins. Its head came back in a tail like fin, and its eyes were black.

"Ah so this is the famous Link. Saved the princess Ruto of my race, and saved the Gorons from extinction by starvation. Not to mention the child who saved the entirety of Termina." The Zora stated, putting a gold ringed finger to his chin, which in all, looked rather thin, not even muscular, like he never did any work, not even swimming.

"So? What of it?" Link was in no mood to be social, and this, punk, could talk down to him when Link did more work by the age of 11 than this guy, who was obviously older, done in his whole life.

"Rude are we?" The Zora smiled and gave a wicked grin.

"LINK!" Zelda said, her mouth gaping open at the blatant disregard for any manners. And Malon just stood there, not saying anything, Leaning against the horse.

"That's alright Zelda. I do believe if I need a guard I should test him anyways. Here." He tossed a coin up in the air, Link caught in between two fingers. "Toss it up in the air and hit it with your arrows. Then I will apologize for my rude way of addressing you."

"Humph. Malon. Want to try out your slingshot skills?"

"I got real good Link." She readied her slingshot and Link tossed the coin up in the air. Malon aimed and shot it, the resounding clang as the dropping coin meeting the hard deku seed rang out over the yard. The coin landed at the Zora's feet, the deku nut still attached as the coin folded over to encase it.

"She's good enough. How about you, hero of time?" Link growled at the name and how he sneered it out.

"Give me a challenge, a coin is no problem."

"Heh. Feisty aren't we? Fine." Zelda still glared at Link, who was being very rude, to such an important guest. The Zora took off a slim bracelet, a little bigger than his arrowheads' widths. "Shoot three arrows through this. A single scratch on the metal and I wont believe a word you say." He tossed the bracelet high up into the air once Link readied his bow.

Link took a second to aim and shot off an arrow. No signs of failure yet. The arrow sunk into a tree branch. Link smiled and shot off two in quick succession, still no signs of failure. The two arrows sunk into the ground in an arc. The Zora caught the bracelet and inspected it, to find nothing wrong.

"Well I guess I must eat my own words. I send my deepest apologies for talking down to you. But now we have business to discuss."

"Link. This is Lord Chari of the desert Zoras. They live in a large and vast oasis that leads to an estuary out to the western ocean." Zelda told Link, and Malon made a face of annoyance at being ignored. "He has something to ask of you."

"I came to Hyrule to see my new bride, but it seems that bandits have been seen raiding the only path to get back to my land. And I have to get back to oversee the swordsmanship tournament." Link's and Malon's ears perked up at that.

"Swordsmanship tournament you say? Is it possible for me to enter if I escort you to your land?" Link questioned, a gleam in his eye.

"I suppose so, if we get there quickly. The tournament does go on in a week and signups end in a few days."

"Good, then we left yesterday." Link said, waving good-bye. "Meet me by the castle town to gates as sundown, and I shall escort you, but right now, Zelda, Malon and I have some things to talk about."

"Of course, you were summoned here for other reasons but got held up by me. I hope to see you later tonight. I will be in my inn room until then." Chari gave a bow to Link, then Zelda and walked off towards the town.

"Why was he here?" Link asked, as soon as he was sure Chari was out of earshot.

"He is my fiancée." Zelda sighed meekly. "It's assigned by my father who wants our two countries to get friendlier. The only way to get out of it is to find a better suitor…" she looked at Link.

Link rolled his eyes and grabbed Zelda out of earshot of Malon, who looked confused. "You know my answer is no. I don't love you." He said, like Zelda was crazy. "You know else I feel about her." He rolled his eyes at Malon.

"Its not like she even remembers." She whispered back.

"Look the answer is no, never, not on your life, we are friends that is it. Besides, I thought sages couldn't marry, which is why Ruto broke off the engagement to her."

"Actually the prophet of time gets extra perks."

"On a different note why are the sages stuck in the sacred realm?"

"They are there to watch the planet and see if there is any trouble ahead, that way they tell me, and I tell you."

"Alright so lets involve HI Malon!" Link realized Malon was close to them and trying to listen in.

"Whatcha guys talking about?" she asked.

"Just some stuff but now we are on to the stuff we were sent around for." Link said.

"Yes I was wondering what is with the fires that have been going around recently. I saw a fire coming from the Kokiri forest and one from the Lon Lon Ranch. When I sent someone to check it out the ranch was gone."

"It was the Charcoal brothers your majesty." Malon said, a tear coming to her eye. Her horses and cows, the cuccos, a lot of them didn't make it out of the ranch in time. "Link and I stopped them from burning trees on the edge of the forest and since they couldn't get to Link, they went after me." Link put a hand on her shoulder to steady her. The Images must still hurt to recall, after all they were still missing Ingo, but they weren't too worried, Malon saw him get out and Ingo was a grown man capable of handling himself, but the animals she precariously cared for and fed and cleaned…all gone.

"Oh. Well I am having the ranch rebuilt; we need the meat and milk that comes from your ranch. It needs to be done. Our soldiers have captured most of the animals that got away from the fire." Zelda sat down on one of the steps and put her chin on her fist, propped up by her knee. "What about the one from the forest."

"The charcoal brothers again. They set up camp looking for me in the forests. They caught some fairies, these ones." Tatl and Tael floated around the three. "Their friend, a Skull Kid tried to save them and a lantern was knocked over, starting the fire." Link said this time, still with his hand on Malon's shoulder as she wiped a tear from her face.

"Well those three guys will be put on a wanted list and by the time you get back Link, they should be apprehended. But all I really wanted to know was anything about the fires. By the way what about your father Malon?"

"He was hurt in the fire, but he's fine now, resting in the forest." Malon sniffed once and wiped the last tear from her eye. "We should be going, especially since we have to escort that guy and then Link's gonna want to stick around for that tournament."

"What's with this 'we' stuff? You're staying here." Link said, sitting atop Epona.

"No, I am going." Malon said and got on beside Link.

Link rode to the entrance and got off. "No you are not, grab onto me." He said pulling out his ocarina.

Malon grabbed onto his sleeve and glared at him as he began to play a beautiful song. She felt her worries go away at that song, it reminded her of her forest with her fairy boy. Her forest? Her fairy boy? It suddenly clicked for her, and she felt like she could have smacked herself upside her forehead; it was so obvious!

When the song ended she was inside the forest, on a slightly raised platform with an engraving of the triforce and a circle with a swirl in it. She looked around the place, two exits from this area, one of them the stairs had broken, and the other looked like a cliff drop from here, but she was sure there were stairs.

"Come on, I have to go pack up for this trip." Link told her.

Malon ran up behind him and grabbed his arm. "I am going with you." She told him.

"No you aren't. What makes you think I'll-" Malon cut him off by putting her lips to his when he turned around.

"I am not going to wait again, no. You left without me last time and many things had happened that you could have helped, but that is no matter. Everyday you didn't visit it hurt just a little bit more, like you scorned us." She began to tell him, and he tried to reply but Malon cut him off. "When you left 4 years ago for those other places, I couldn't help but think I was part of the reason. I am not letting you go off again, not alone anyways."

"But Malon, it's going to be dangerous." He warned her.

"I don't care!" a tear began to fall down her pristine face. "Don't you get it? I love you. I don't want to lose you. I would die if you didn't come back or if something happened to you and I didn't know!" she was yelling at him now, more tears falling down her face. "If you tell me you don't love me…then you can go alone."

Link pulled her close to him, her shorter head resting on his chest. Her hands rested on his lower back, while Link rested his head on hers and one of his hands was on her upper back and one on her lower back. "I can't lie to you. You know that, you can see right through me anyways." He began to her. "You can come then, since I obviously can't stop you anyways." He smiled and Malon smiled too. That was the answer she needed, or the one she wanted now. She will get the actual words later.

They separated and Malon came up to give Link a quick kiss, but Link caught her and the kissed turned into a more passionate one.


	5. The Story

The Return

Ch. 5: The Story

AN: I hate doing these in the beginning of the chapter, but something has come to my attention. Well LinkIsaacANDLloyd has brought to my attention of the sappiness of the last chapter. The original idea was awesome, but the ages I gave them didn't quite fit for what I had in mind, so earlier I had upgraded their ages from 13 and 14 (I made Malon the older one) To 15 and 16. This way so Malon is pretty much done growing and Link has gotten himself some definition and spike to his skills, not to mention to make the ages fit much better than say young Link and Malon kissing. I thank LinkIsaacANDLloyd for bringing this to my attention, for any of those who have not reread the first two chapters where I fixed the problem.

Link and Malon were walking to Link's house when Malon began to wonder about that song. "What song was that, the one you played to bring us to that place in the forest?"

"That was the Minuet of Forest. It is a spell trapped in the musical notes of the song that brings one to the – watch your head." He lifted a low branch over Malon's head. " – Forest Temple."

"Oh. Are there others like it?" Malon started humming Epona's song low.

"There are others. There is one to go to Death Mountain's volcanic crater, one for Lake Hyrule, one to a death shrine in the Kakariko Graveyard, one to go to a secluded, beautiful spot in the Gerudo Desert, and then one that takes us to the Temple of Time." Link explained to her, as they finally left the Lost Woods.

"Hey, there's my dad!" Malon pointed out Talon, helping some Kokiri with water, his left arm all bandaged up. "HEY DAD!" she yelled, climbing down the vines that lead up to the forest.

Talon looked up and smiled as Link humped down the large cliff, to land into a roll and then stand up straight, nearby. Malon had to take it one small step at a time, as Talon tugged some buckets out of the clear freshwater pond for the know-it-all brothers who were behind him.

Malon finally made it down and huffed at her father, with a face of annoyance. "You're hurt daddy, you should go rest."

"Malon honey, I can't just sit around all day and not do something, besides alls I am doin' is helping these kids out with their chores." Talon dragged one last bucket, filled to the brim with water.

"Figures, you got to work, you sleep all day, you should rest and you work." Malon scoffed a little, playfully gave a smirk and then smiled to Link. "Race you to the house." She took off and Link tailed right behind her the whole time, letting her win.

"Come on, we have some time to kill, so I want to try on one of those masks!" Malon charged in and noticed the cabinet was locked. "Link, I need the key." she called out, feeling rambunctious and energetic.

Link checked the lining of his hat and pulled out a small circle with three pegs and thin edge on the other side. He lifted the lock up, to show the backside, pushed on edge so an edge a circle popped out and he pulled it off. Link placed the pegs in the wholes and spun it left for three seconds, then right for five, and then left for one second. The lock popped open.

"This is the key. The keyhole on the front is just for show." Malon took of the lock and took a look at the masks, she wouldn't wear the giant's mask; she might crush something. She saw the goron mask, but she was in no hurry to become a goron, neither of the two had seen a female goron yet, and seeing one was not on the top of their list. The Deku mask, she would try on, and the Zora one too. Those, they could handle, she hoped.

Malon picked up the Deku mask gingerly and slowly pressed it to her face. Her eyes widened and pain shot down her body in tendrils. She screamed out in pain and Talon dropped his buckets of water, running to Link's house. He saw Malon in pain and Link just standing there, he picked Link up by the collar, which wasn't all that effective since Link was a bit taller than Talon. "What is going on with her boy?" he shouted at Link and Link merely nodded as a healing light erupted from Malon, and then a strange Deku stood there.

The Deku looked at itself as if it has never seen itself before. It had a smooth wood-like skin, with a bright autumn orange tinge to the brown. The eyes were a soft orange as well, leading to red on the edges, and the deku was tall and lean, almost as tall as Link. "Hello Malon, maybe this will help better." Link put his mirror shield in front of Deku Malon. Her mouth was different, like a slit that opened and closed when she wanted to talk, rather than a circular mouth that most Dekus had. There were white patches like that of a birch tree.

"Wow." A chain of small ruby colored flowers flowed from an obvious hairline, to down her back, some over her left shoulder.

"Ready to try the Zora, or do you want to test out your special powers?"

Malon gave an awkward smile. "Lets try out my powers." ran out the door and jumped up high into the air, her body light weight and flexible like a sapling, she floated down easily, landing on her elongated Deku legs, flat on her feet, no bouncing or bending her knees. "You need the snout to blow some bubbles, but you don't have that, so lets see what you can do now Malon." Link shouted from his tree house, Talon looking at the Deku with amazement and wonder.

Malon swallowed something, her thin olive wood neck extending slightly. She blew out some air, and some vines shot out from the ground, aimed at Link's feet to hold him down. Link jumped, easily out of the way. She can nature suggest, the ability to not only talk to nature, but speak to the ground and ask for favors.

If Link didn't already have the ability to understand nature, he would have been stapled to his balcony. "Here catch." He tossed her the Zora mask, and she caught it easy, having the wind slow down the mask so it didn't hurt her.

She put on the Zora mask, not feeling any pain this time, like her body was already numb from the first change. The wood fell off in dust as steel like scales replaced her smooth wooden skin. Gills grew on her neck and they closed as her lungs filled with air. Her ruby colored flower hair fell off easily, blanketing the earth below her feet, as they replanted themselves in the earth. Fins grew from her delicate wrist, snow white in color with flecks of scarlet and autumn red. Talons grew from her fingers, slightly longer than her now webbed fingers.

Her head was narrow and sharp, completely aerodynamic, with a tail on the back of her head like a most Zoras, except the top of her head was fire orange and yellow, with navy blue eyes instead of black. Lines of yellow, black, orange decorated her woman's body as a zora, like a tropical fish. She was a tropical Zora.

Talon was getting interested now, seeing the masks were the ones causing the transformations. "What can you do now sweetheart?" He yelled from the balcony, and Malon smiled and nodded. Her fins didn't shoot, no, they grew and folded to her hands, bending over and a hard bone forming a 'hilt' to a sword of fins, and sharp spine grew out of the fins, dripping with a type of toxin.

She slashed in the air feeling the balance and strength that is her new body. "Beautiful and deadly." She whispered to herself. She folded the fins away and jumped into the pond, swimming fast, she let her gills do the breathing, looping around easy of the small islands that riddled the area. Until she met a small passage, too small for her, she jumped out of the water, almost 90 degrees, to extend her fins into a helicopter spin to slow her decent onto the land. Malon began to concentrate, she remembered hearing somewhere, there where fish that could change their color. She opened her eyes and looked at her feet to notice they were missing, and when she panicked they began to rapidly change colors, and she sighed.

"Ok. I am officially scared now." She said, obviously beginning to feel the power behind the masks and realizing, these were not toys, but pieces of dangerous equipment. "How do I get this mask off?" she asked, pulling at her nose, causing her voice to change.

Link pulled out his ocarina and smiled, playing the song of healing. Malon felt her soul dip into peace, the Zora in her separating painlessly from her soul. "Mikau." It whispered to her. When she opened her eyes, she was human again, curves and all. Her hair was no longer some flowers or a tail, but soft, naturally flowing hair.

"Want to try out the Fierce Deity's mask?" Link grinned and Talon laughed.

"That is enough for today boy. This old dog can only take so much surprise!" he slapped Link on the back, and he almost fell off the balcony.

"OK. I am done for now." She tossed Link the mask, who caught it easily.

"Come on, lets get your gear ready, since I already know what I am going to bring."

"Bring? Bring where?" Talon asked, obviously confused.

"We were hired to escort Lord Chari to his homeland across the desert." Link nodded as Malon began to climb up the ladder.

"Oh…well, why is Malon going?"

"Well WE were hired." Malon answered, and followed Link into the house.

Link began to dig around his items, giving Malon his magic bow and a hookshot. Link set off the fairy bow and the longshot for his pile. Eventually they had sorted out necessary equipment. Two giant's wallets, filled with rupees, a shield, both mirror shields. Malon was given an eye of truth, bombs, bombchus, deku stick, and nuts were all divided amongst the two.

Talon had left to go help more Kokiri with their chores, every child, except Mido, had accepted the help. "Malon. Here." Malon had turned to him and saw him take his sword off his back, and handed it to her. "Take this."

She unsheathed the magnificent gilded sword and swung it. It felt so balanced and easy to swing to her. "But now you don't have a weapon now." She told him, looking at the evenly edged blade with a sharp point.

"I have more. And I will pick one up in town today, I have a certain one in mind for me." His thoughts drifting to a familiar blade that he had used long ago, or later on in life, depending on how you looked at it. It never dulled and never failed to do the job. It was a master blade any swordsman would kill to hold in his hand.

"Oh? And what would that be?" she asked, sheathing the sword over her shoulder Link, and reaching back to see if her arms were long enough to draw it. Her arms were long enough to reach and she re-sheathed it.

"I'll show you when we go to town, but here. Lets let you practice your sword skills. We don't want you to be the damsel in distress all the time, do we?"

Malon huffed at thought of her being useless except for screaming for Link to save her. Link grabbed his mirror shield and began instructing Malon on stances and attacks he found effective. The shield clanged as the sword had hit it. Over and over again, slowly gaining power as Malon realized how strong Link actually was, until she began to try her hardest to strike the shield. It wouldn't budge, Link was too strong and the shield was too powerful. Her sword could hardly make an impact.

"How about dual action?" Link brought out a deku stick and smacked it to make it a proper size for him. The two began to fight. Link and Malon fighting, Link obviously slowing down for Malon's sake, but he soon found out that she was pretty good. She was more nimble than Link, able to drop on all fours and use her legs more than Link ever could.

Link got smacked across the face by a shield, Malon's first hit, as he turned his head away because of Malon's kick that sent her dress flying up. "What are you turning your head away for?" She asked, trying to stop the swelling that was sure to start up from the reddened cheek.

"Um your dress…it doesn't work if you plan to do so much kicking." Link mentioned, red hitting his cheeks, and not because of the hit either.

"Oh…wow…"she blushed also, pushing her dress down. "Oh yeah…sorry about that."

"Lets go to town early." Link suggested, sitting down near the pond in the village, as he set his sack down next to him and rummaged through for his ocarina. "We have some last minute shopping to take care of apparently."

"Ok I guess, we traveling by song again?" Malon picked up her sack and sheathed her sword.

"Of course." He grabbed Malon's hand and began to play one handed, with a few slow notes, but still rather good for being one handed. The same thing happened as the first warp and Malon then say gray and white walls and they were standing in the temple of time. "My new sword awaits."

"What are you talking about? I have been inside this temple more times than I can count and there has never been any sword." But Link rummaged through his sack, pulling out three gems, one green, one blue, and one red. He placed them on the altar that stood in front of the door. He put his ocarina to his lips and began to play a smooth song that flowed. As soon as he was done a stone slab in back of the altar lifted, and inside a ray of light was a sword.

Link stepped forward, undeterred by the strange events, like this all happened before to him. He walked up the steps and Malon followed closely behind. She was creeped out while Link strolled easily to the sword and placed his hands on the hilt of the blade. His muscles didn't even tense as he pulled out the sword easily, like he was used to this like breathing came to everyone else.

"The master sword. I missed you." Link admired the blade, superbly sharp and weighted, perfectly balanced. It wasn't as strong as the biggoron's sword, but that sword was unusable by an ordinary man. Here was an ultimate blade, a blade of power, specifically designed to destroy evil in any form.

"This is the blade you were going to pick up?" Malon asked and then yelped in surprise as Link lifted one hand and caught a blue and gold sheath that fell through the air.

"Thank you guys." He said, looking at the ceiling. He smiled and sheathed his sword, fixing the sheath onto his back. "Well come on! We have some shopping to do so we can get on the right path."

"Link…you seem so happy now." She asked, taking her hand away from his, wondering what changed to make link so happy.

"It is like a piece of me has finally returned, you see it happened years ago or soon I the future…depending on how you see it. But anyways, I'll tell you the story sometime soon…" Link began to walk out the chamber when Malon grabbed Link's tunic.

"I want to hear the story now. I hate it when you don't tell me things. I hated it when I was younger and I hate it now. Please. Just tell me the story, the truth."


	6. Story and Travel

The Return

Ch. 6: Story and Travel

"You want to know the story?" Link gulped, he wasn't ready to share that yet, but he didn't know if he would ever be ready. That adventure, although necessary to ensure the world's safety, it ruined his childhood, and scarred him for life.

"I want to know more about you." Malon let go of his arm and he looked down, the sheath hitting the floor as he let it slip from his fingers.

"I am older. Much older. I was eighteen once. Eight. Teen. It was heck and turmoil to try and adjust back from teenager to child…and the first time around, child to teenager." Link sat down, stern faced. "You might want to sit, since we have time to kill, this might take a while."

Malon gave him a strange look and sat down across from him on the cold stone floor. "It began a while back, don't ask me when, because the years and days have been so messed up I am not sure what a minute is anymore. I was without a fairy, even without Tatl. Until someday a fairy came by, her name was Navi. She was sent to me from the great deku tree. I had to save the land, using my courage, the thing that activates my greatest treasure." Link raised his left hand and took off his golden gauntlet to show Malon. She gasped at the symbol imprinted on his hand, and how it glowed with an ethereal beauty.

"The triforce of courage. Yes, that is why I have had to lose all hope of a happy, innocent childhood. I have had to kill great many a monster and save this land. I have taken the curse from the great tree, broken a curse of death upon a fish based god of the zora, and save the whole goron race from starvation. And I did that while I was a child, never mind when I was unfairly thrown forward in time."

Link shook his head and turned away from Malon's piercing stare. He could see that her eyes were beginning to water at the beginning of the long and sad tale he was telling. "Then I had to have this sword. I hated it for the longest time, having a harsh and unforgiving journey placed upon the shoulders of a boy who was barely even ten. But then a girl…you…came along with Epona." He looked back at Malon and took her hand in his. "I can't lie to you, your life was less than stellar. Forced to work for Ingo, beaten if you displeased him, and he threatened to rape you on more than one occasion. Don't blame him."

Link sighed out and gulped, shifting his eyes from the watering blue of Malon's. "He was under a curse like most men. The curse of greed formed by Gannondorf. But you brightened my life. You made me happy and laugh when things got bleak and sad. I saved your ranch, and you saved me from falling into despair." A smile now formed on Link's face as warm and welcome feelings splayed across his mind. "We were in love then, we had many happy moments, and we even…" he didn't say anything else.

Malon was attached to his face, her lips against his in a kiss unlike their last one. It wasn't heated like the last one, it was soft and sweet, and Link could feel the tears from Malon's face running down her cheeks. Their tongues never met and they didn't move for a long while. All that had happened was link's arms wrapped around Malon's slim form. Malon finally released her soft capture of Link's lips.

"I shouldn't believe you, I should call you crazy and run. But from what I've seen and heard from you, I believe it, every word." Malon pressed her forehead to his. "I believe this, all of it…" she looked into his eyes.

Link was stunned, speechless. This day kept getting better and better. First he proves a complete jerk wrong, introduced his love to the power of the magic masks, reunited with the greatest weapon the world's ever seen, and now Malon not only believed his story but showed signs of love to him. "Oh god I missed you." Link wrapped Malon in a hug again.

"Um Link? We still have to do shopping." Malon didn't want to let Link go but he left the grasp with a now straight face, like nothing happened, except for the look he gave her. His eyes glazed with love and emotion, and something darker, more primal.

"You're right, we have a spoiled fish to escort." The two stepped out into the yard of the temple and began to walk to the market place, still bustling with life and trade.

"I'll go do clothes shopping, you grab the items we just might need." Malon said, walking away from Link. "We will meet at the gates in two hours."

Link walked to the bazaar to get the more common item they will need, deku nuts, deku sticks, slingshot ammo and arrows, usual stuff. He bought fish and fairies also, for hunger and exhaustion. But Link had finished his shopping much earlier, so he wandered aimlessly around.

Looking for Malon in the overcrowded area proved difficult, with random chatter, people always bumping into each other, and thieves about, Link had trouble finding anything in the foreign terrain of the marketplace. He bumped into this lady, he only got a short look at her, but he thought it was Malon. But it couldn't have been. Malon was wearing a cotton, white dress, but this woman had a swordswoman dress on, made of blue silk with a gold floral design on the leg slit. Her own flaming hair was wavy and flowed down to her butt, similar to Malon's, but not quite. "Sorry." Link said gruffly and pushed past, but he heard the woman giggle.

"Strange…"he said to himself as he walked on. He eventually sat down in the center, near by the fountain. Leaning back with his travel sack filled with item he will need and his newest installments.

A girl sat next to him on the fountain. It was the same woman from before. "Hi fairy boy." The girl said and Link knew it was. Malon.

The blonde boy's head did a double take and he looked over Malon more carefully. Her clothes were different, going for a more foreign look. The dress was blue with gold floral marks with a slit running up the thigh on her left, for better movement. The wavy hair set him off, the way she had it done and the way she stared at him with a more mature look than she had that morning.

"Notice something different?" she said coyly as she watched his eyes scan her.

"I notice _something_ different." He said and gulped visibly. She was gorgeous.

"I thought you'd like it." She gave a small smile to him and stood up. "Come on Fairy Boy, we have to go to the gate" Malon walked off, a little more sway to her step, soon she felt the burning gaze of Link watching her every move.

They waited the drawbridge and gate, the sun soon beginning to set, they threw rooks into the moot, seeing who could skip the farthest. Link won, he was the stronger. But the two kept playing, giggling to each other. A carriage was heard, closer to them, and they halted their game.

"Hello Link, Malon." Chari said, sitting in the safety of the wooden carriage.

"Hello Chari." Malon said all cheery and wide eyed, her hands behind her back and her chest puffed out to try and look cute, and to get Link's gaze on her again, rather than the skimpily clad Gerudo on the carriage's driver seat.

It worked. Link looked at Malon scrutinizing her every curve, until he could find no flaws. To him at least. "We should get going master, things are calmer at night, but still just as dangerous." The Gerudo warned, shifting the horses to the direction she wanted.

Link took out his ocarina and played Epona's song, calling the horse to his side, which it came, faster than Chari could believe. It nuzzled Link and Malon's hands, feeling affectionate. "Comere girl." He said, climbing atop the horse, and Malon following soon after.

The carriage and the couple rode off to the land of Gerudos. "Where are we going?" Malon noticed as they headed toward Gerudo Canyon.

"The Gerudos are giving us shelter for the night, since tomorrow begins the Peahat migration to the canyon floor, we would never be able to cross." The Gerudo herself said.

"I see, those aggressive plants would make crossing impossible tomorrow." Link mentioned, his hand stroking his chin as they trotted along to the brown earth of the canyon.

"Yes, it would be quite bothersome with hundreds of those monsters attacking our small…crew." Chari said carefully, a wrong word and Link might snap at him. "What do you think?" Chari asked, turning to a figure across from him that Link never noticed was there.

The figure just nodded its head to Chari, signaling his leadership. "Alright then. Onward to the village." He said and the carriage began to rumble forward the barren path and to the bridge, Epona leading, in case of danger. There was a slight rushing sound, like the wind, but artificially due to the coupled sound of soft thudding of feet. "Wait. Stay here." Link said and slid off Epona, Malon following close behind him, to Link's slight annoyance.

An arrow came whizzing by, at Malon, and Link's hand shot out and grabbed the tip in between two of his fingers. The arrow was tipped in an orange set of feathers. Gerudo.

"Malon. Stay on guard if you are coming with me. This is Gerudo territory and for some reason they don't want us here." Link said, hushed. He heard her nod of her head as her necklace jangled, hidden under the dress she was wearing.

"You think you're good boy? Blocking one arrow isn't enough to think you know anything." A voice thundered over the canyon. It obviously wasn't happy about the blocked arrow. "Fire." It stated and a shower of arrows came raining down on them. Link pushed Malon away started dodging arrows as if it were nothing.

Malon watched in terror and aw, her shinning red head watching as Link spent his time dancing among a shower of razor edged wooden bolts. She almost cried out his name, but she realized any distraction and he could die. The dance continued for a while until she saw an arrow skid his shoulder, cutting the fabric but not his skin.

Malon had to think of something to do, Link couldn't stand this and Chari seemed intent on just watching this display of horrific dancing. She scanned the cliffs, looking for something, anything to help. She spotted something off in the distance and took aim, drawing her bow she hefted the light fairy's slingshot and shot a single arrow.

It flew true and struck the object in the distance and a voice shouted out. "SON OF A BITCH!" it cried, echoing in the canyon.

"Stop firing." Another voice, the one from earlier, commanded and the bolts soon stopped falling, Link now lying among the dust and wood of over a thousand arrows, sweat dripping from his brow. He slowly climbed to his feet and walked over to Malon.

"Nice shot." Link commented and began to collapse against Malon from shear exhaustion. He was out there dancing for minutes, with adrenaline pumping in his veins. He had several cuts, but none of them were more than superficial, just shallow cuts from near arrow strikes.

"Who was it that struck my fucking arm!" Came the voice from before, it was undeniably a male voice.

"It was that Scarlet haired woman down there, Mikio." The other voice, who halted the firing answered and Link could hear jumping and leaping noises as many beings closed in on their position.

Two male figures, among the mass of at least 20 or 30 Gerudo stood there. "You fucking struck me?" The smaller of the two men said and he began to run for Link and Malon, Link trying to steady himself on his own feet again.

"Mikio. Stop." Said the taller man and he began to step foreward, carefully, measured for every possible reaction of Link and Malon, and even the cart from behind them.

"Why, they hurt me, Mikio, next in line to the throne! DUH!" The smaller boy said, halting as the taller one still calmly made his way to the group.

"You may be next for the throne, Mikio, but you are also nothing but a child." The taller man said, now within visible distance of Link and Malon.

Malon looked up quickly at the copper haired young man, with toned muscles and pale skin, she knew him. "Scott?" She asked, still holding link up on his own two feet.

"Malon? What are you doing here?" The man, obviously Scott, asked, halting his measured advance.

The fiery haired girl smiled greatly, opting for smiling instead of crying. Her cousin was a little darker a little more toned, but it was her cousin Scott. She moved forward, quickly, running and landing in a jump, her arms around the man's neck. "Its been so long Scott! I didn't know if I'd ever see you again."

"It has been a while Cuz, it has been a long while. 4 years was it?" He asked as the younger, smaller boy came up, a gerudo on his arm treating the wound.

"Relative of yours Scott?" Mikio asked, and Malon saw him for who he was.

And Link grabbed his sword, ready to fight this young man for something. His olive skin and fiery orange hair, flowing down to his shoulders, with muscle beyond his age, and dark black eyes. Link knew him for who he really was. His sharp nose turned up in disgust at the two intruders.

"Its you…" Link grimaced and said under his breath.

Sorry for the late update guys Been having schoolwork and work and other projects, plus a cheating...nvm. It's just been hectic, but i should be back more often now. Well, send me a review and I'll get started on Ch. 7.


	7. Nightly Walks

Chapter 7

The Return

Nightly Walks

The Gerudos explained their earlier misconduct in firing the arrows, and sincerely apologized. The Gerudo's weren't the only bandits in the area anymore, and they were just as deadly as the vicious tribe of female warriors.

They had been hunting down the tracks of the bandits when Chari's group had come onto the stage at the wrong time, in the wrong place. After apologizing, the Gerudos applied salve to some of Link's more serious cuts, and commended him for dodging a barrage of arrows like that. As an apology they prepared a feast for the group, which Link gladly accepted for the group, not finding any problems with the Gerudo at all.

The table was large and long in one of the stone halls, many foods like pork and beef seemed to be setting themselves on the table. Vegetables and fruits lines platters among the table and puddings and cakes seemed to magically appear out of nowhere. As usual Chari sat at one end of the table with two cloaked figures on either side of him, one eating viciously, the other just sitting there. Every so often the cloak would turn just slightly, and Link knew he was being watched.

The one who was eating everything in sight, was the one and only Ingo, having been hired to care for the horses and carriage for the trip, he was inside said carriage during all of the trip, until they stopped, where he would groom and make sure the horses were healthy and patch up the carriage. Malon was overjoyed by this turn of event. Her cousin Scott had been talking to her all night, her and Link mostly, asking questions on why were they on this trip and the such.

"You shouldn't even care why they are in their goddamn trip, Scott. These are outsiders, nothing but losers among the nobles." Mikio said, louder than what was really needed.

"Mikio, I was once an outsider too. I came here scared and confused." Scott mentioned picking up a piece of fruit and popping it into his mouth. Two darkly tanned hands rested themselves on Scott's shoulders and a Gerudo's head came down.

"You weren't all that scared, as I recall, you gave me a pretty wild night." Said the Gerudo, her lips whispering next to Scott's ear. "Isn't that right sweetheart?"

Malon looked confused, looking from her now blushing cousin, which seemed out of place from his earlier persona, to the Gerudo making suggestive comments. The Gerudo was gorgeous, with curvy hips and waist, covered by some thin and baggy purple slacks, leading up to a nicely set and firm chest held up by nothing but a purple sash, she had great feminine and sleek shoulders attached to a thin, yet muscled neck. The whole of her skin was dark earthy brown, like fresh earth, and her hair was a mix between brown and red, giving it a coloring affect unlike anything before.

"My wife." Scott said to Malon's confused face, and Link continued eating, not surprised in the least. Link had heard many stories, and this was among the more common stories of kidnapped men, and probably the truest one.

"You got married? Why didn't you tell us?" Malon burst out, overjoyed that her cousin wasn't only all right, but doing very well for himself.

"Well duh, no contact with the outside world if it isn't necessary. This is Mikio, the son of the tribe's leader. She is currently ill and I have taken over for her." At that moment a younger Gerudo, no more than twelve, with her hair still down and her body just changing, burst into the room.

"Lia is dead." She said, her eyes starting to well with tears. The whole group stopped, except for Link and Ingo. Link had met Lia in the future, and she was better off dead now, rather than dying how she would have if she had lived on. A rockslide, not caused by Ganondorf had crushed her.

Scott abruptly left, his chair screeching on the floor as the legs scratched against the stone. He rushed out of the room, Mikio ahead of him, his arm in a sling. "Link, what should we do?" Malon whispered as the group sat there in awkward silence, the Gerudo's abandoning them for their leader.

"Nothing Malon, absolutely nothing. We do not want to get involved. Tonight you and I have to take a walk, so be prepared." With that Link got up and walked off down one corridor, as if he knew where he was going.

Malon wondered what he meant and where he was going, but she sat there and thought. What had just happened, what he could mean by a walk, how fast life was coming at her…it was so surreal to her. Her life was changing so fast. Not a week ago she had straight red hair, instead of her now sexy curls, she was feeding horses in stalls instead of dinning with Gerudo.

Slowly, carefully, she walked off, to walk the grounds and think of how things have changed, in the time she was with Link. She let her feet stray to whichever direction she wanted, she didn't care. Until she heard the amazing sound of Link's ocarina blowing in the wind. Looking around, she saw Link sitting on the roof of a building, near a ladder on one side, so she ran over and began to climb.

Link sat there blowing a tune of his invention into the pale blue ocarina, his fingers dancing over the little holes. Although the tune was ringing in his ears, the magic tantalizing his eardrums, he still heard the soft patter as Malon walked over to him.

"You know," He started, putting away the ocarina. "I have seen many deserts, but none of them beat the starlit sky of the Gerudo Desert." His head turned upward to look at the stars and planets, lighting up the night sky.

Malon stopped for a second, realizing he was very alert, even when enthralled by music. She continued on, sitting next to Link at the edge of the building. "Link…" She started, but couldn't finish.

"How did I get like this? Alert and attentive? Always at the ready to fight?" He finished for her, his smile never leaving his face. Link's golden hair and hat had begun to flow and bend as a breeze cut through, and his smile turned to a grin of pleasure at the chilled wind, blowing across the still heated sands.

Malon could only nod. The grin disappeared from his face and he gave that angst ridden, slightly depressed and stern look he had on an awful lot around public. "Life is hard. You know the story, the hardships I went through, and the pains I had done to me. One must learn to be able to defend themselves always. I had learned to never be surprised, to never let myself get too into something that I lose sight of where the dangers could be hidden." Slowly his eyes turned to Malon's, and instead of the steeled blue she was expecting from the hardened warrior, she saw the slightly damaged azure blue of a boy. A boy who had seen one too many things in his life.

It was Malon's turn to look away and share her hardships. Here she was, not even a week involved with this young man, and already her feelings were mixing, growing up. Her carefree life was gone, yet she didn't care. "My mom died when I was very, very little. Ingo and my dad told me she died soon after giving birth to my sister."

"I didn't know you had a sister." Link said quickly, his eyes now switching from neither steeled blue to hurt azure, but to curious teal. A strange quirk in his genetics only adding to his overall charm.

"I don't anymore. She died with my mom. I was three years old at the time. My mother had just given birth to my new sister and life was good. They were going to name her Carol." A small smile upturned on Malon's face, remembering the good times. "Then the bandits came down from Death Mountain. You probably don't know this, but before the Goron's and the people in Kakariko Village were friends, they were barely on speaking terms. The bandits were a bunch of convicts who had escaped and were living by pillaging and stealing. They made their way down Death Mountain, the Goron's not even bothering to stop them." A tear slowly made its way down her face. Link couldn't help himself to turn away.

She was breathe taking. The curled fiery strands of hair down her shoulders, a single tear running down a perfectly rosy cheek, with her wonderfully blue eyes watered and gleaming. He leaned over and took her lips to his. No hands, no tongues, to moving. Just their lips touching in a sweet kiss, meant to stabilize, just show love, not passion. "I love you." He whispered in her ear after he left her lips.

Her eyes locked with his and she saw a familiar set of eyes staring back at her. She had never seen this color in his eyes before, ever. But they felt so familiar so wonderfully familiar. It teased the back of her mind, trying to figure out where they felt so familiar. Such a wonderful shade of teal and blue-green intermixed with flecks of silvery blue inset in the irises. It irradiated emotion and compassion. "I love you too." She whispered back and closed the distance again so their lips met once more.

For the longest time it was just them with their lips together. Until Malon's tongue gently, shyly poked and prodded at Link's still closed lips. Slowly the two puckered lips opened and the pink muscle made its way to meet Link's. Link broke away suddenly and leapt to the middle of the building. "Who's there?" He asked viciously, his eyes darting around analytically, scanning the area fro the intruder.

Out of the shadow that formed from where the cliff met the wall, a man stepped out and Link visibly relaxed. It was just Scott. "It's just me, Link. That was very good, noticing me in the shadows. I applaud you." The copper toned lad walked forward, his hands in his pockets. "I see you and my cousin are more than just close." He stood in front of Link, and the difference between them was staggering. Link was shorter than Scott, by about less than a foot, with his golden blonde hair to his copper toned red. Link's face held traces of a hardened warrior, while Scott's was plastered with a goofy grin of relaxation and laid back satisfaction.

Link looked up at him and stared him in the eye. "What of it?" and with that he challenged Scott. Not to an actual match, but to try and stop Link from what he wanted. What he needed. What he deserved.

Scott for a second seemed scared, his eyes trying to pierce through the solid steel that was Link's own eyes. Then he threw back his head and bellowed a loud laughter of mirth. "One could see why you are with her. I approve." Scott nodded slightly to Link, but Link didn't move. His gaze was set past Scott, like Scott didn't even register on Link's radar.

Suddenly Link waved his hand for Malon to follow him. He started walking, and the fiery-headed girl walked behind him. "Just remember," he whispered as he walked by Scott. "If you get hurt, she will be in pain. And if she is in pain, I will hurt you." Link said, obviously referencing to Scott's disregard to his own safety while trying to apprehend the alleged bandits from earlier.

With that, Link left, Malon following closely now. "Bye Scott. I'll see you tomorrow morning, before we leave." She smiled and waved, jogging to catch up to the golden haired swordsman before her. "What did you say to him?"

"Just to watch his back in the desert." Link answered. A boyish grin graced his face. "Last one down the roof is a Gerudo's Bitch!" He shouted and ran down the slope of the building's roof to the canopy covering the building window. Malon followed, giggling all the way, feeling glad his boyish side was returning to him.

Link bounced from the cloth canopy down to a wooden pike jutting out of the building, and standing with perfect balance, he bent over and hefted himself up on his hands, still balancing on the pike. His arms bent as he started to store kinetic energy. He heard Malon jumping from the canopy to him, and while he wasn't very far from the ground, he didn't want to get in her way. He launched himself up and forward, to do a spin in the air and land flat on his feet.

Being the accurate and calculating young man he was, he caught Malon in her arms, as she had not quite gained the balance and agility Link had honed over many years of battle and survival. "Happy now?" She asked, as she felt his hand explore her upper leg and lower back.

"Very. But alas, we have work to do." He sighed out, letting her down on her feet, his hand giving a last lingering feel. "Come. A spirit is restless, having no place to go." Link took Malon's hand in his and stared her in the eye. "Lets go to a place between worlds."

Walking off into the night the two headed for a cliff face with a steep slope, but a path, one as steep as the hill, yet it seemed as if it had been traveled on many time before. Link sat down on the ground a cloud of dust kicking up as he did so and he reached into his pack to come out with a pair of boots laced in metal. He dropped them to the ground with a mean thud. After he had removed his own boots, he replaced them with the ones of iron. He stood up slowly and lifted his leg with obvious strain on his legs. He put his leg up and pushed it against the wall as electricity sparked from the path. Then lifting his other leg, the first leg holding tight to the wall, he stood perpendicular to the ground. He looked up, his neck craning straight so his vision was also perpendicular to the ground. He was eye level with Malon's stomach and chest.

"Come on. We have to go meet the ferryman to the Promised Land." Link smiled up at her and she nodded slightly, before she sat on his stomach, and he walked up the steep path as if he was walking normally.


	8. Souls

The Return

Chapter 8

Souls

Link continued to walk easily up the steep slope; the clanking of his iron boots against the wall the only sound around, aside from Malon's cheerful humming. Link hasn't said a word since they started climbing. He was in long bouts of contemplation and shifting eyes. He was looking for something, what, she wasn't quite sure, but something he had to be ready for.

The tune she was humming was the song Link had been playing on the roof when she found him. She found its beat quite easy to follow, but had a strong and tough rhythm. She had dubbed it 'Our Song', and began humming it in such a low key, she wasn't even sure she was singing it. A caw was heard and Malon began to look at her gently falling surroundings. They were very high up, incredibly high up, like they were climbing a mountain. Link seemed undeterred to continue climbing, not even a bead of sweat dropping as he climbed up, still perpendicular to the ground with Malon sitting on his stomach.

"Have you made this walk before?" she asked him suddenly, thinking about how hard the climb must be.

Link, gently waking from his predatory watching, nodded. "Yes I have made this climb many times before. Although I never had a passenger, especially one with as shapely an end like yours." He smirked and raised one hand to rest on her lower back.

She blushed slightly and giggled. "What are we looking for up here?"

"The place where the two worlds meet, where the souls journey to the next world. We need to see a warrior woman before she passes over. I have some things to ask of her."

"It's the Gerudo who just died, isn't it?" Malon asked attentively.

"Yes, Lia. She was a swordswoman like no other; Maria wouldn't hold a candle to her. You or I would seem like a mere gnat against her. I want her soul in the mask, or at least train me, so I can win this tournament and get my vacation. "

"You really do want nothing but to relax, don't you?"

Link's smile vanished completely. He didn't just wanted to relax, he wanted to be safe. He nodded.

"What's that?" Malon asked, pointing up to a big gaping hole in the wall.

"The entrance to the land between worlds." Link smirked big. There would be a fight to enter, he knew there would be, and he never lost.

The walk soon went over the lip of the cave, and the two felt a sudden chill, like a frosty wind blowing over dripping wet bodies. Then they felt suddenly warm, like a fire had burst to life a good distance away. The feeling of the soul field. "Halt." A spectral voice came out of nowhere, Malon's eyes searching, as she was let down from Link's body.

"It's the guardian of the sages. The beast of hell, Unicorn." Link said, slipping off his boots so his feet were flat on the sparkling crystal clear floor. In any direction you could see eternity. A swirling mass of blacks and blues and purples, with specks of white and brown. "We aren't leaving Unicorn. We have business with a new soul."

"You mean me?" A harsh, but feminine voice sprang to life, and a woman materialized from the ground. The fiery red hair and aqua blue eyes where a thing of beauty, accentuated by the dark, earthy tones of her skin and sharp, defined features. "Link. It's been a long while since we last talked. When we met you were but a boy." Even though she was in her late thirties when she died, she was an incredible beauty.

"I need you to train me." Link said firmly, his eyes locking with Lia's.

The spectral figure fully formed, her feet pressing the floor and she laughed out loud. "It's a little late for me to train you now isn't it?"

"No. You have a choice. Go to the afterlife, or spend it in this mask and have the hope of inhabiting another body after I pass on." Link held out the wooden fierce deity's mask.

Lia grimaced and smacked the wooden hunk out of his hand. "How dare you think you could lure me with a promise of another life? I have done no evil; I am all set for the afterlife."

"I was hoping to make a trade in return for the training." Link went to one knee, as a sign of respect for the swordswoman. "I need your help to survive. I need your skills."

Lia sighed and looked at Malon, fidgeting with her lower lip and rubbing the edge of the skull kid's hat in her hands. "I cannot train you boy. I can only grant you entrance to the land of the between. Maybe someone there can help you." She put her hand under his chin and lifted his head so he looked her in the eye. "Come."

She turned swiftly, Malon chasing after the two moving warriors. A random portal opened up in space and they walked through like a door. Inside was a marble room, where white portions gave way to dark gray and black. The room seemed to stretch for forever, with a series of columns that made up the actual walls. "So why does your survival depend on my training you?"

"I have a trial in my life to go through. One this mask has told me I have to go through." He held up the fierce deity's mask.

"Why are you letting the mask boss you around?" Lia didn't even look back.

"It has something I want…no, need." Link said with hatred dripping from his voice.

"Well I cannot help you, but he might be able to." Lia stopped suddenly and Malon's eyes grew wide and she went silent from her humming at the sight before her. A brilliant owl stood there. A white chest fluffed up against dirt brown feathers. An odd pattern on the owl's face, making it seem like it had two sets of eyes.

"It's been a long time Link. Too long." The owl spoke, both sets of eyes focusing on the three souls. "I see you already knew about our new guardian."

Lia merely kneeled and nodded. "Owl. I am here to train. I need to get stronger, fast."

"It's you…" Tatl breathed out as she stared in awe at the feathered deity.

"Well if that's how treat an old friend, I may just not help." The owl seemed to laugh a hooting laugh that echoed through the long white room. "I have a way to help you both. But it has its dangers."

"She's not in this." Link stepped in front of Malon, seeming to shield her. "She has no reason to be put in danger."

Malon gave a look of annoyance and pushed past Link. "I am in. I will not be a damsel in distress." She stood firm, the brim of her hat covering her eyes.

"Well the fire in your soul is certainly enough to light his." The owl's large wing swung around to point to Link, who stared at Malon with a look of wonder and admiration, his eyes flaring with desire.

His hand rested on her shoulder. "Are you sure? Once you do this, there is no going back, normal will never be anything you can ever get back." He whispered to her. She shot him a look that said 'just try and stop me'. Link only nodded and gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

"What can we do?" He asked, looking the owl straight into the pair of eyes on top of his head.

The owl waved its wings harshly and two small pebble-like things fell from the wings. "Those are seeds of life. Given to me by Farore, they are what cause life and strength to run through a lifeless body. But to get the energy to grow and sprout, they need energy in return, hence the incubation period for women. The second hand energy source is why it takes so long. For you two, it could be a matter of days before the second source sparks and grows." The owl turned and floated toward the back of the room. "Just swallow the seeds and you'll be back in bed."

"But we weren't in bed!" Malon called out.

"You will be soon."

The two picked up a seed each. One was a cool robin's egg blue, and the other a deep crimson with shimmering flecks of gold and orange. Malon swallowed the crimson one while Link downed the blue one. The world began to spin around them and Malon lashed out to grab Link's arm for support. However, Link himself, was falling too. Black surrounded them as they fell to the ground.

"I must protest to this relationship." A voice said from next to them.

Link's eyes shot open and his arm lurched up to grab the fist and twist it harmlessly to the side. Scott had tried to punch him in his sleep. And he figured out why as a gentle yawn erupted from his chest. Malon was asleep there with her hat hanging over the post of the bed. She was in a night gown and Link was in his trunks. "Whoa. What a trip." Link said and held his head as he sat up too fast. Low blood sugar in the morning.

He felt pretty good for waking up in a makeshift bed. Excited and eager even. Malon sat up and twisted her head from side to side and a loud snapping sound was heard as she cracked it. "Nice." Link said as, faster than anyone knew, even faster than he normally was, he twisted another fist out of his line of fire.

"Scott! What are you doing?" Malon asked as she just realized Scott's angry presence.

"Nothing happened Scott. We were out for a walk, last I remember." Link feigned a scorching headache and he shot a subtle look at Malon to pay along.

"Owwww…" Malon moaned out as she clutched her head. "Scott what was in that food last night?"

Link, still holding his face out of Scott's line of view, smiled at Malon. _Good idea._ The smile conveyed. "Are you trying to kill us. We weren't doing anything to cause this scorching headache. "

Scott knelt by Malon and felt her forehead. She felt warm to him. "You do feel warm, perhaps you should stay with me today." He offered his cousin.

"No, we have to get going." Link said.

"I will not put my dear cousin in danger over some journey for a fish!" He shouted at link.

"He is right, we do have to go. Link I expect you and Malon ready to leave in an hour." Chari corrected in a calm and cool voice. He gave Malon's body a passing glance as he walked out of view. Link's eyes narrowed in distrust and anger.

"Scott. If you must fight me, then do so when I am on the way back. Until then, train hard and maybe you will have the skills to beat me." Link pulled on his tights and grabbed his white tunic and hat, Tatl floating about his barren chest while he walked out of the room. Outside the room, his boots were sitting snug against the wall, and he slipped them on.

The copper toned young man turned to Malon. "Now Scott, I need you to get out. I have to change." She said with a slight tone of warning in her voice.

Scott left with a look of defeat and confusion. She slid out of her nightgown and saw herself in a mirror on the wall. Her chest felt bigger. Hefting the globes in her palms, she felt the unfamiliar weight, like they were bigger and rounder. They didn't hurt, they felt bigger though. Scrutinizing her figure more in the mirror, she felt along her sides and stomach. Her hips, they curved more and felt softer and rounder. It was like her body was changing on her.

She shook her head, just her imagination. Dressing herself, she found her breasts had gotten bigger, they jut out more, her dress covering less, and her cleavage showing more. She twirled her hair with the hilt of her sword, restoring their curl until she could get her hands on the heat rock in Epona's pack. Plus she needed to bathe. With Link again. She smirked at the thought of that.

Link stood by Epona and Tatl, his chest bare to the hot sun. He was pulling on his tunic when he noticed something. More definition to his body, his stomach was no longer only flat, but it held the signs of true abdomens. The six portions of his stomach seemed to appear out of nowhere. His scrawny arms held more muscle than he ever knew, like his body was defining itself. What a wonder it was. He finished pulling over his tunic and sat up on Epona.

Malon soon walked out and Link was in awe at the strange, but alluring aura around Malon. "Ready to go lover?" She asked at Link's staring. The blonde haired puppet nodded and gulped. He pulled Malon up onto Epona and kicked the horse off to the carriage with Chari and the group in it.


	9. Desert Resolve

The Return

Chapter 9

Desert Resolve

Link and Malon trotted alongside the carriage on Epona's back. Epona was such a fine horse. A stead so strong, so powerful, that even under the blazing sun, she never panted or showed signs of weakness.

Malon had fetched the heat stone from Epona's pack, a heat stone is a stone that is a super conductor, and it takes the heat given to it and amplifies it. Many women use them to curl and style their hair, since the heat from the stone is so intense it can soften the structure of hair so it can be re-shaped. Malon never had one before, due to its expensive cost, but Link insisted on buying it for her. Today she had to be careful with the stone and leave it in its white case whenever she wasn't using it. Not just because the excessive heat of the desert, but Malon was feeling more exothermic than usual. Like a fire had sprung up inside her body. It was strong enough in fact to make Link sweat exuberantly, from no real exertion.

"We have just a few more hours to go before the checkpoint comes into view. Be on guard Link, those other bandits seem to have nested near here." Chari called from the back of the carriage, using the term nesting as a way to show disdain and inferiority.

Link's back straightened and Malon leaned into him, feeling tired at the lack of movement. She had been horseback riding many, many times before, but never for this period of time. "Watch your back Malon, those bandits are just dishonorable enough to strike a woman, in the back." Link's eyes darted around the cliff face on either side of them. A few small pebbles clattered down the steep walls as Link reached for his bow and arrows. "I can smell them." Link said. His face grimaced in disdain, like he actually could smell the bandits.

"Link?" Malon began to ask, but she heard the loud "thwap" as an arrow twanged in a bow. Link's bow was out and used before Malon could contemplate a though. A loud scream was heard as a body came crashing down the cliff face. The whole group stopped to look at Link and the bandit's limp body fall to beside the carriage.

The strange-cloaked figure stepped out of the carriage and inspected the body. One shot, one arrow, straight through his brain, between his eyes. The cloaked figure looked at Link after it inspected the body, kneeling by it. Link couldn't tell very well, but he sensed the figure was watching him. Something about the way the mask of darkness moved and curved told Link the figure was studying him like a Hawk.

A predatory gleam made its way to Link's eyes as he stared right back.

The figure stood suddenly and turned toward the calm Chari, sitting calmly on the step of the carriage. The figure moved its hand over its neck, or the area around there, hard for Link to tell, in a straight-line fashion. Dead.

The cloaked person made its way back to Chari and whispered a few things. "There may be more, Link. Good work catching this one, but we must hurry to the checkpoint."

"It was the only one Chari." Link told him, Getting off his horse with Malon to inspect the body for himself. "It was a scout." Link lifted the man's body by the collar and flipped it onto his front. "See here? A telescope. It was spying, waiting for someone to come by, so he could use this." Link held up a box with a string on one side. It had a sticker attached to it, with some writing in an ancient lettering that neither Link, nor Malon could read.

Chari, for the first time seemed surprised and made his way to Link and Malon, who were studying the box intently. "It says "Signal Box" on it." Chari told them. "It's written in an ancient form of Zorekian." He gently took the box from Link. "Its made from a desert Lizard's skin, and its later al edges--" Chari ran a finger along the sharp corners and edges of the box. "—are made from the bones of the sand viper. A poisonous snake unlike any other."

Chari took the box with him into the carriage. "Link, this find is quite precious. Not only will I allow you into the tournament, but I will sponsor you as well." Chari told him, his calm façade returning slowly.

The cloaked figure nodded at the strange old man driving the carriage. The carriage started up with a loud neigh from the horses, as the reigns whipped slightly. Link hopped on Epona's back and grabbed Malon's wrist, jerking her up in front of him. His arms on either side of her, he lifted the reigns and motioned Epona into a slight gallop; to catch up to the carriage before they trotted once more. Malon leaned back against Link, her head resting on his shoulder. "I hope they have a bath there at the checkpoint." Malon muttered.

"I am sure they do, but you smell, fine." Link breathed in deep. "Divine even." He breathed out of his nose, onto Malon's exposed neck.

Malon giggled a little at the slight breeze caused by Link. He placed his lips to her neck softly and kissed. Malon didn't react visibly, but he could feel the tightening of her neck muscles under his lips. He continued to kiss that one spot, gently sucking and licking the area, until he felt her hands slide up his side from in front of him. Her breathing quickened with every trotting step from Epona. His teeth nipped at her neck softly, gently biting, causing Malon to moan out in pleasure.

Link stopped suddenly and perked his head up eyeing the ledges for any sign of movement. There was a small clatter and the hooded figure burst out of the carriage, hopped up the huge cliff face in two great leaps and lopped off the head of a bandit. The head and the body came crashing down the cliff.

"Well it seems like my vassal is doing your job Link." Chari stated, picking at the body, looking for anything valuable among the equipment and weaponry of the bandit.

"Chari get back in the carriage, there is more than one." Link ordered, and Chari looked up at the cloaked figure that nodded his confirmation.

"I expect you to do your job exceptionally well Link."

The blonde hero merely nodded and hopped off the horse, and put on the deku mask. Link was now tall and very light. The brown of his skin seemed to contrast with the beige of the sand. His eyes were no longer blue but a sunset orange and the spout like mouth the deku kid used to have was replaced by a slit much like that of Malon's Deku Form. Using one of his developed powers, he planted a deku seed that sprouted to a flower instantly, digging into the ground, he used the flower to burst him high into the sky. One of his arms held onto a huge flower, easily holding Link high in the air, the other seemed to squirm around into the shape of a crossbow. Those were not deku seeds he was packing.

"I see them!" He said in a warbled voice. "There are no more than 15. I should be able to take out more than a few from here." Link lifted his arm and saw the cloaked figure charge with two blades showing from it's baggily clothed arms. He took careful aim and then shot a bolt of deku wood, a scream was heard as the bolt landed in a bandit's red clad chest.

The group was heavily armed with axes and broad swords, but lacked clothes in the immense desert heat. Link shot off two more rounds as the charging cloaked figure slashed and brought down two of them at the same time. Link continued to fire, floating gently in the breezeless desert. Near the end link had killed nine bandits while the cloaked figure had brought down six.

Link was about to change when he saw one more come toward the cloaked figure. He used his flower to direct him to the field of carnage where the sand had a dirt-like texture due to the blood spilt on it. He took off the deku mask and gently fell to the ground, his sword ready. "That's the leader isn't it?" The Hero of Time asked, and the cloaked figure merely nodded next to him.

The leader stepped into view, with his bronzed skin and huge bulging biceps; he wasn't a force to be reckoned with. The head was bald and shiny, the face specked with a rough beard, and a nose that looked like it had been broken many times before. The eyes were completely black. He was at least six feet and seven inches tall, a giant. He wore nothing but loincloth, a scabbard for a huge bastard sword and a leather thong on the loincloth for a huge battle-axe.

"This is going to be fun!" Link murmured to himself.

Again, the cloaked person nodded. The bandit roared a deep, guttural roar and charged, bringing out both of his weapons. Link parried the first sword swing as the cloaked figure jumped over the swinging axe.

---

"Anyone else hear fighting?" Malon asked, but no one answered.

"What is going on up there?" Chari had asked aloud.

"I am going to find out!" The red headed lass swung her fine leg over the horse and over to the cliff wall, intent on climbing up it to view the battle in full.

"You can't do that Malon! Link would kill me if he found out I let you do that!" Chari called out as Malon began to climb the face.

"Can't hear you!" she shouted, ignoring the fish's orders to return to the ground.

---

Link used the huge forearm of the bandit as ground and jumped off it to land a slashing blow at the man's shoulder. The blade cut only the smallest of gashes into the giant's hide and then was pushed out by muscles. "Dammit this thing is like a fucking fortress." He cussed and spat, landing in a roll as an arm swatted at Link.

The cloaked figure wasn't doing much better, its twin blades were sharp, but they were small, and the figure obviously didn't have the strength to pierce the skin of the giant. The three were locked in a dance of destiny. The two bodyguards were too fast for the huge giant, but the giant was too big and strong to be sufficiently harmed.

"We are going to die at this rate. We can't hurt him, and he is used to this heat." Link shouted to the figure, and the giant merely chuckled, and continued to swing his weapons at the two warriors. Link's foot fell awkwardly on the ground and he stumbled over the body of a dead bandit. He sat up to see a huge bastard sword come down on him. There was no time to dodge or bring his shield up, not that the shield would help him much.

---

"Whew!" Malon panted as she made it to the top. Her eyes scanned the horizon until they saw Link and the cloaked figure, as they danced a dance of death with a huge giant of a man.

She began to walk towards the battle with her sword at her side and the shield on her back. She saw as Link's slashes did nothing to the huge giant, and as the cloaked figure had done most of its best techniques to no avail. The giant couldn't hit her lover or the cloaked one; they were too fast for the heavy hitter. "They have to be winning, they have to be." She told herself, moving faster in the sand and heat.

She watched as Link stumbled and landed on his back. She watched as the giant reared up for a huge slash at her defenseless lover. "NO!" she screamed and held her hand out. She had to save him somehow, but she was too far away. Malon ran as fast as she could, her arm held out in front of her, and everything seemed to run in slow motion as a light erupted from the front of her hand. "LINK!"

The cloaked figure noticed the light and hopped off the giant's back. The light burst forth a giant spurting wave of flames. The wave bit straight through the giant.

---

Link closed his eyes as the giant brought its arm down to slice him up. All he heard was something akin to lava erupting and the heat of a volcano pass him by. Opening one eye he saw the bandit's arms, missing their shoulders and everything above the elbow lying on the ground. The bandit's torso was missing and the waist was smoldering and completely cauterized.

Link's head turned to where he thought the lava flow had come from, and along the pathway was a thick sheet of glass in the sand, leading to Malon standing in the middle of the desert looking at the palm of her hand. Her eyes connected with Link's awe stricken face and gave a small, twitching smile before she collapsed.

"Malon!" Link called and as fast as he could ran toward his collapsed lover.

The hooded figure chipped off a piece of the glass and inspected it. It was clear, of almost superb quality. It took more than one strike to chip off a piece no bigger than a blade of glass. The glass about an inch and a half thick, weighed next to nothing. The figure couldn't tell if it was the burst of fire or the sand of the desert, but the glass, if worked properly could be as strong as steel.

---

"Malon, sweetheart, please, wake up." He asked softly, as Malon lay on a soft bed. Her eyes gently opened to see Link's azure eyes looking at her with quite worry.

She brought her arms up around his neck and felt light headed almost immediately. "Ugh…what happened?" she asked, holding her head and then looking at the palm of her hand where she remembered that strange light.

"We were hoping you could tell us." Chari asked from a table in the cottage they were in, while Ingo slept at the table, drunk.

"Don't question her yet! She just woke up!" Link told Chari sternly, and took Malon's arm, helping her to stand.

She felt weak, her knees gave out on her and Link had to help her stand and walk. They walked out the door to see a beautiful sunset on the horizon. "Lets get washed up Malon." He told her, leading her to an oasis of decent size. He sat her down and stripped down.

"Link…um…" Malon said, blushing furiously as Link got less and less clothed.

"I don't care if you see." He told her as he stood before her naked, helping her up so she could remove her dress to wash. She saw his body had much more tone than when she last saw it, his arms had gotten thinner. No. Not thinner, but tighter, like the muscle had gotten stronger, tighter.

He removed her boots and took her waist in his arm and slipped off her panties, slowly, antagonizing. The cloth strips holding in her ample chest was next, Malon carefully unwrapped herself. "I don't care if you see me either." She told him at last and scouted into the water. She sat at the edge, which was already as deep as her waist, and enjoyed the cool water.

Link gingerly got in next to her, covering his front slightly. She was so different from their last bath. Her hips were more prominent and you could tell easily her chest had gotten bigger, bigger than her future version even. Her waist had actually shrunk though, and her rear had grown into a more heart shaped version of itself. She was stunning. The two washed themselves up in silence, and then sat in the water, side-by-side, enjoying the cool night in the oasis.

Malon leaned against, her arm wrapped around his and she felt his arm rub up against the side of her chest. She smirked playfully as Link tensed up. "So tell me what was I like in the future, when this Gannon guy ruled?" she asked at last.

"Well your chest was smaller." He said first and Malon looked at him weirdly. How could her growth be affect by time change? She laughed finally.

"How about something less superficial?"

"You were kind, very gentle, and more than willing to please Ingo so he didn't hurt you or the animals. You bent over backwards for his customers, and took every chance you could get to leave the ranch. We were very much in love, like we are now." He told her, leaning his head back to look at the stars.

She looked at him with admiration in her eyes; he was so handsome in the starlight. Malon leaned in close and kissed his cheek and the corner of his lips. "I love you Link."

He turned to her and took her chin in his hand, and brought her lips to his. "I love you too." He whispered and kissed her again. Malon shifted her body ever so slightly to get more comfortable as she kissed Link. Slowly she straddled Link's sitting form and kissed him, her chest pressed against his.

"Well I see you two are getting along." A male voice that was familiar to them both said. The two looked up and saw an owl perched on an old dead tree a few yards away. "Just came to see how the day went." He searched the two over. "I see you bath have changed quite a bit in a days time. This is a lot of change, even for those seeds." The owl hooted and flapped its wings in agitation.

"Great Owl…" Malon started, still straddling Link. "Something strange happened today. I saw Link in trouble and a large spout of flame erupted from my hand."

"Magic? Already? HOOT!" the owl said and started to hover. "You kids are growing really fast, the energy you must be outputting has to be immense for this much change to occur in you already. Those seeds of life have already begun to sprout and grow, in less than a day. They will continue to grow inside you for as long as you live, like the ones from your mothers are still growing.

"Be careful children. There are some powerful people where you are going." With that the owl took off into the night.

"Malon." Link kissed Malon once. "We have to get up early tomorrow, set out so we can get to that damned city before nightfall."

"Aww, and I was just having fun." Malon told him, smirking at him playfully.

"You think you were having fun?"

"You are having just as much fun as me, I can feel it." She smirked and kissed him once before getting off Link and standing with renewed strength.


	10. Power

The Return

The Return

Chapter 10

Power

"Link, wake up, I think I hear something." Malon said, patting Link's shoulder in the plain wood bed they were in.

"I can hear it too Malon. It doesn't sound friendly." Link slipped out of the covers and leaned over to kiss Malon's forehead. "You stay here sweetheart, you need to rest after yesterday." He grabbed his sword and shield and slowly opened the front door, noticing everyone in their respective spots. Ingo passed out with a mug in his hand at the table, Chari asleep in the arm chair, and the other cloaked figure still in it's bed. No one else but him and Malon heard the soft breaths and patter of ninja-like feet.

Before Link even knew what happened, his hand shot out and grabbed the thin wrist of a young man with a knife in his hand, pointed at Link's throat. "So fast…" the boy whispered, his other hand brushing the long black hair out of his face.

The other hand then shot out quick as a snake to wrap around Link's neck only to be met by Link's hand crushing the fingers like nothing. "Its like you are moving under water to me." Link mentioned to the boy and finally noticed the blue tights and white body armor he wore with the picture of an eye. "Well mister sheikah, mind telling me what you are doing here?"

"I can't let that fish back home. I must keep the Hero out of our home." He said and struggled with his arms to get at Link, but Link held him at bay like he was nothing. The awkward position of the sheikah's feet left his limbs useless. Just to be safe, however, Link kicked the back of the boy's knees, and let the joints fall to the dirt.

"Such a pathetic excuse for a ninja." A voice said from the window. Chari had opened the window from his slumber and let one of his scrawny arms hold up his head as he watched the boy struggle uselessly against Link's might.

"I'm a sheikah you fucking FISH." The boy shouted, the oddly violet colored eyes looked at the Zora lord like he was a bad taste.

"I may be an aquatic humanoid, yes, but you are a poor assassin. Link, dispose of him." Chari began to turn from the window when he felt a rock hit him in the head.

Link stood, one hand now holding both of the boy's wrists and his other hand free and pointing out in the distance. A man was standing there, holding a devilishly long and curved blade. "Wake up your body guard for protection, I have work to do." With one hand he swung the lad into the distance. The boy would be fine, if he was a sheikah for real.

If not, then survival of the fittest.

The master sword was out of its scabbard before Link could really understand why he was going to fight. He rushed up to the figure as it rushed towards him with the ease and speed that came with practice. The swords met in a clash, sparks flying and link saw the face of the challenger, a grin of insanity plastered on the scarred face. His face was scarred, numerous scars of different shapes and sizes, some different colors as they had hit different depth, it was hard to tell his true skin tone. The eyes were empty and black; no light shone in them, like the most emotion he could feel was during battle. The nose had been bent to the side awkwardly and his size was tremendously muscular.

The swords swung off each other and then clattered again as they met in a flurry of rushed assaults. The calculated attacks were ringing loud into the sky as the large, slightly curved blade met the master sword in each paralleled blow.

"You are pretty good kid." The voice of the man was deep and strained, like he was having a hard time keeping up with Link. His black eyebrow, the one that was left, held back some of the sweat from his forehead.

"Thanks." Link said as he had hardly broke a sweat. Something was weird with him in the dim light. His speed, his reaction time, his perception of time and movement had gotten monumentally better. He wasn't the same man as the day before. "However why are you attacking us?" Link leaned forward as their swords locked, trying to push the man back.

"Nothing personal, just been hired to kill your whole group, me and the boy you easily tossed out." He guffawed at the memory. The man steeled himself and pushed back with all his might, evening out with Link's push. "I am sorry kid, but I have to end this."

The man pushed forward with a sudden jolt to knock Link off balance, which Link let happen. He fell on his back and watched as the man jumped back slightly to jump forward again with his sword meant to chop Link down the middle. He rolled off the side, grabbing the back of the blade with his hand and he stood up, gripping his hand, the long sword broke in half in Link's grip. "Well that is new." The man said and stared at Link in disbelief.

"You don't get it. I am the hero of time." Link said and didn't even turn to face the man as he walked away, half of the blade in his hand still.

The man charged at his back and the blonde haired hero dodged out of the way easily. "Backlash." Link said aloud and turned the pivot into a spin, the stolen blade up high, it swung at such a speed, the man didn't even register it.

The body hit the sand, as the head was still balanced on the man's own blade.

_What is happening to me? _Link thought to himself as he watched the back of the head stand stable on the blade. He dropped them both like he had just been burnt by the blade.

"A lesson in life Link." The owl's voice said from a cloaked figure's arm. "With power of a mage comes understanding and wisdom, Malon used her powers to save a life worth more than that bandit, you on the other hand used your new power to end the life of a man who was neither good nor bad."

"You see, the power of the body comes with rage and arrogance." The hooded figure talked for once, in a feminine voice Link knew. "I will put you down if you don't learn to control that arrogance and rage." The hood had slipped off the figure's head.

--

Malon sat at the table, trying to wake the inebriated Ingo. Ingo was a hard worker, but he could drink something fierce. She sighed and leaned back into the chair. She wondered where Link was. "Malon." Came a voice she recognized. The Fierce Deity's Mask.

She went to the sack where the mask was held and gently lifted it. "What?"

"Link has issues to work out." The mask stated, the brow screwing up like something was wrong.

"He always had issues to work out." Malon mentioned, referring to his pain at losing the innocence of childhood.

"No, that new power you two gained has changed the both of you. Malon I know you feel it, the wisdom of facts you never knew before swirling in your head, the power and arrogance radiating off Link, I know you feel it."

Malon was perturbed, she hadn't even told Link of how she felt different and how Link himself felt very different. "With your magical powers you gained, you have gained wisdom and morality, while Link has gained indifference and cunning. Such is the fate of the power of the body."

"I am confused. So the stupid seed I swallowed gave me magical abilities and wisdom?"

"Yes and the decisiveness to make quick morally correct choices."

"And Link got enhanced physical abilities, but it comes at a cost rather than a bonus?"

"Basically, yes. However it's something that he can control if he has the willpower. This test is turning out to be really interesting. I never thought the seeds would come into the mix." The mask said and chuckled deeply.

"You really are sadistic." Malon scoffed and put the mask back into the sack, and put Link's spare tunic on top of the mask.

The mask started talking muffled nonsense and Malon ignored him.

"Come at me. NOW." Maria shouted and drew only one blade. Link charged, and almost as if he had been blasted by a huge magical force, he was flown backwards. "You'll have to try better than that."

Link growled and charged harshly again, his power activating and he dodged the initial force of the magical blow, sidestepping to the left and brought his sword down in what should have been a mortal blow. His sword swung easily in the wind.

Maria stood behind him, her thin blade pressed to the back of Link's neck. "You cannot beat me link. Not this time." Link rolled out and slashed up, through Maria's thick cloak.

The swordswoman floated in thin air, easily. "You cannot beat me Link. You will never be able to beat me. That day, at the battle-" the blonde boy jumped up, enraged and Maria disappeared again.

Link continued to slash, a frenzied ball of split air and grunts as his sword swung around and over, high and low, through and out. "Tired out and drained yet?" Maria asked, finally reappearing without Link going into a frenzy. "Like I said. You cannot beat me. That battle we were in, that day, I died. I am no longer in the world of the living. My energy is inexhaustible, I cannot be harmed physically." She looked at her hands, floating in the air, while Link struggled to lift his sword. He was so very tired.

"When I died I was approached by the sages as I was passing." She continued her story watching as link finally gave up and sat down. She floated down to a rock, sitting gently. "They were concerned for you Link, very concerned. They sent a child in a man's body to do the job of saving the world. They robbed you of your childhood."

Link only turned his head away and scowled. He remembered that. The mentality of a seven year old in the body of a 17 year old, trying to figure out how his new body worked, what changes he would go through. His sexuality blossomed so fast, so quickly while he was an adult, he couldn't take it all in appropriately. "So what?"

"You aren't the same as you should be Link. You're angry, upset, slightly confused. In short, YOU are dangerous." She pointed a sword at him.

"Dangerous of what?"

"Becoming the next Ganondorf. Wielding the triforce for evil, instead of good. You are a detriment to the Goddess' greater plans. They have plans to make Hyrule so much more. To make it better."

"You can shove your preaching where the sun don't fucking shine." He scoffed. He didn't want to hear this. The blonde hero was going to be the blonde villain? "Saria would never allow you to hurt me."

Maria took no insult to that. "She is but one sage. Do you think you could stand up to six of them? The only reason we have not bothered to dispose of you yet, is that you have found a way to insight peace and tranquility in you, in a young girl, no, woman. Malon."

The thought of Malon brought a smile to his face. The anger of losing washed from him. He truly loved her. He's loved her for more years than he has actually been alive.

"She weighs you down Link from being harmful. And that seed in you will make your anger grow. And your aggression skyrocket. You will be a completely different person by the time the seed is fully grown. But we need you again. A dark power is growing in the place we are headed. We think…" She trailed off as Link stood tall before her.

He got up real close, his face right next to her deathly pale one. "Tell me. Who has bested YOU in battle?"

"You."

"Who has slain Ganandorf?"

"You."

"Who has stopped the moon from falling?"

"You again."

"Who can overcome the power of the seed if not me?"

Maria smiled. "That is what we wanted to hear. Not arrogance, but confidence. Still, I am here to watch you. And put you down if need be."

Link stepped off her as Maria replaced her hood and bounded away into the night. He sat and thought. He thought, and thought, and thought some more. About the seeds, his life, what he lost, what he gained, and his thoughts always drifted to Malon. She is so beautiful to him, and she is beginning to become a powerful sorceress.

Is he really a danger though? Yeah, he is angry. Yeah, he is harmful to others. But is he really a dent in the Goddess' plans? "Whatever." Link said aloud and got up, stretching his back. The sun was beginning to come up and Malon would worry about him. Again, the thought of the fiery magic wielder brought a smile to his face.

He knew he would be just fine. Link would always overcome. He always would.

Malon was getting worried. It was almost dawn and link was nowhere to be seen. Her seat by the window was growing uncomfortable and her eyes were drooping as sleep started to win the battle.

In a matter of moments, sleep won. She dozed in her chair, head up against the wall.

The door swung open easily and closed quietly as the blonde lad stepped in. He turned and saw her, his Malon. Gently lifting her, his legs brought them to their bed, where he gently placed her before slipping off his boots and sliding in behind her.

"I love you Malon." He murmured in her ear and kissed the back of her neck.

Author's Notes

So tell me what you guys think. It has, indeed been a while. But college and a full time job get in the way. Give me any feedback you can on how I can fix this or make it better. Thank you!


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